When it comes to giving patients timely care, hematology/oncology practices have an edge over other specialties, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported.
In a composite of five survey questions asking if physicians provided timely appointments, care, and information, 69% of hematology/oncology patients said that their physicians always provided such care, compared with 66% of cardiology and surgery patients and 65% of pulmonology patients. None of the other specialties included in the report had an always rate higher than 63%, according to data from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Clinician & Group Survey.
When specialists of the non–primary care variety were considered as a group, 64% of respondents said that they always received timely care, compared with 59% for primary care physicians (not including pediatricians). Overall, 62% of respondents said that physician offices always provided timely care, the survey data show.
The CAHPS database includes a total of 798,967 patient responses submitted in 2014 and early 2015 by 3,962 medical practices.
