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HIGHLIGHTS: HIGHMARK HEALTH PLANS

HIGHLIGHTS: HIGHMARK HEALTH PLANS

Proof:
Getting health care right by helping consumers find the right doctor — and switch

Finding that special someone can be tough. According to a Pew Research Center poll, about 50 million American adults today have tried online dating sites or mobile dating apps to find that perfect match.

Finding the right doctor can also be tough.

And according to Charles DeShazer, MD, chief medical officer for Highmark, switching to a new doctor and transferring medical records is a problem consumers are facing.

"Forty percent of people say it's a hassle to switch doctors," he said. "So we got together with Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and other community providers to come up with a better way for consumers to find a doctor they are comfortable with and actually switch. That's how we developed Doctor Match."

Doctor Match is an online survey launched in 2017 that — similar to online dating — measures nearly 20 dimensions of compatibility to help consumers identify the right doctor for their unique health care philosophy and needs.

Doctor Match will search from the more than 700 participating physicians and match you according to compatibility questions like this one:

Which one describes you most?

  • I like a doctor who smiles and chats during my appointment.

OR

  • The doctor should respect my time and get right to the point.

This leads to results that are more personalized than traditional doctor searches, and the whole process takes less than 10 minutes.

"Best of all, after taking the quiz and finding your top match," said Dr. DeShazer, "we will help you schedule an appointment, transfer medical records, and get your first visit off to a healthy start — that's more proof of what we are doing to get health care right.”

(Want more proof that it works? Take the quiz!)