Nurses’ Choice: Top Doctors Mehodology

For the Nurses’ Choice list of top doctors, the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute (NJHCQI) commissioned an independent survey of the state’s nurses by the Polling Institute at Monmouth University in West Long Branch. All licensed New Jersey nurses were invited to make their choices through an online survey. A total of 801 nurses participated.

Here’s how the survey was conducted. Beginning on April 20, 2009, New Jersey nurses received notification through the Institute for Nursing quarterly newsletter that an online survey (nurseschoicenj.org) was available for them to make their selections for the best physicians practicing in the state. The newsletter is distributed to all licensed nurses in the state free of charge. Follow-up emails to members of the New Jersey State Nursing Association and other communications with hospitals also were used to encourage participation. The online survey was available through July 31.

Survey participants were required to enter their name and license number to avoid duplication. A total of 801 non-duplicated responses were validated for use in the survey.

The final list represents 180 recommended physicians in 31 medical specialties, including pediatric and surgical subspecialties. In completing the online survey, nurses were asked to indicate whether they had personally worked with the doctor; those experiences were given a greater weight in the survey than recommendations based on reputation alone.

Only physicians who were selected by these nurses are represented on this list. New Jersey Monthly had no role in compiling the list.

Founded in 1997, the NJHCQI is a 501 (c) 3 charitable foundation that brings together all key stakeholders to make real and measurable improvements in New Jersey’s health care system. NJHCQI seeks to empower health care purchasers and consumers by publishing the results of objective research, comparative data on providers, and other pertinent educational information so that purchasers and consumers may adopt value-based purchasing practices and make informed decisions on the merits of various health care programs, treatments, and services.

The Nurses’ Choice project was funded by the NJHCQI with grants from the Horizon Foundation and Johnson and Johnson. The project was undertaken with the cooperation of the Institute for Nursing.

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