The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the Physician Compare preview to November 16, 2015, to allow more time for physicians to preview their data for the 2014 quality measures that will be reported on the Physician Compare website later this year.

The Affordable Care Act required CMS to create a website that would allow consumers to search for and compare physicians and other health care professionals who provide Medicare services. That site—the "Physician Compare" website, initially launched in 2010—provides contact information, specialties and clinical training, hospital affiliations and group practice information.

In 2014, the website also began phasing in physician quality data from the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), including the Group Practice Reporting Option, the Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program and the Electronic Health Record Meaningful Use Program.

Physicians can access the preview site now via the PQRS portal-Provider Quality Information Portal. To learn more about which measures will be publicly reported and how to preview your measures, visit the Physician Compare Initiative page.

If you have any questions about Physician Compare, public reporting or the 2014 quality measure preview period, please contact CMS at PhysicianCompare@Westat.com.