NPI relational data

[Loran Cook]

This dataset would be exponentially more useful if it provided data about relationships between entities. At the very minimum, an individual to an organization mapping. Optimally, some sort of corporate structure. Also, maybe proverbially putting the cart before the horse, but seeing CMS' published data sets uniformly utilizing the NPI rather than other disparate identifiers would be awesome sauce. :)

[Alan Viars]

Hi Loran:

Personally I wholeheartedly agree.  Since my fellowship began I have worked on an organization-to-organization view and have compiled it internal to CMS.  I will send it to the people that make those kinds of decisions and make a case for disseminating that information.

NPPES does not contain any individual to organization linkage, but this information exists in PECOS as far as I know.  This would only cover Medicare participants and not health providers as a whole.

Data consistency across CMS data sets seems to be emerging as a theme from folks I've talked to thus far.

I look forward to more good ideas from you!

Sincerely,

Alan Viars

[Loran Cook]

Thanks for the speedy reply! The trouble with PECOS is, it's not open, so the group pac id's in the Physician Compare data set has very limited uses, and the fuzzy logic to work around it and assign each group/practice an NPI makes my head hurt. 

It is comforting to at least know that the lack of uniformity is being acknowledged.

Will be following closely!

[Alan Viars]

Hi Loran:

When you say PECOS is closed, do you mean that there are no public data sets of that information?

It seems to me that if a provider participates in Medicare, and hence is paid with tax dollars, then that information would be public.  Have people requested this information and has their request rejected?

Alan

[Loran Cook]

Emailed Physician Compare  Thu 8/29/2013 11:54 AM. I recall a phone response and since I cannot locate an email response, that was likely the case. Essentially I was told that PECOS is an internal data set used for billing purposes. Any way to circumnavigate that?

[Alan Viars]

I'm researching the topic internally.

Alan

[Loran Cook]

For anyone following this thread, CMS has organized a Physician Compare townhall to solicit more feedback regarding additional data to include in the dataset.

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/01/29/2014-01642/medicare-program-physician-compare-town-hall-meeting-february-24-2014#h-8

[Alan Viars]

Loran:

Thank you so much for sharing this. I hadn't heard about it.  I will try to attend if at all possible,

Best,

Alan