Healthdirect National Health Services Directory vs Medicare Care Compare

Healthdirect National Health Services Directory (NHSD) provides nationally consistent information about health and related services to help consumers make appropriate choices. It makes 150,000 services accessible and is searched more than 2.2 million times each month across platforms. Listings can include location, contact details, hours, appointment availability, delivery mode, practitioner information, referrals, accessibility, payment options and secure messaging details. Healthdirect offers integrations through FHIR APIs, an embeddable widget and the Provider Appointments API. The responsive widget lets people search for services and can be placed on a webpage or in a mobile app using a code snippet. The appointments API supports real-time availability and online bookings through booking-provider integrations. Directory data aligns with the FHIR Australian Provider Directory Standard and uses SNOMED CT-AU terminology. Integration partner access is listed at free. Services maintain their own listings and are advised to review them at least every 12 months. New service types must meet eligibility criteria, including support by SNOMED CT-AU, community relevance and a trusted aggregate data source.

Medicare Care Compare is a free web tool for finding and comparing Medicare providers. Medicare patients and caregivers can search for clinicians and groups enrolled in Medicare, then use maps and filters to look for providers that suit their needs. Listings span doctors and clinicians, hospitals, nursing homes, home health and hospice services, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, dialysis facilities, community health centers, and medical equipment and suppliers. Clinician profiles may show measure-level star ratings, performance scores, check marks, telehealth indicators, and procedure-volume data. Nursing home overall ratings draw on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures; CMS reports more than 150 hospital quality measures through Care Compare and the Provider Data Catalog. General clinician and group information is updated monthly, while performance information is updated annually. Provider data downloads are available through the Provider Data Catalog on Data.cms.gov. Hospital data in Care Compare is limited to Medicare-certified hospitals. The interface is described as optimized for mobile and tablet use, with provider phone numbers that can be tapped to call.