In addition to reporting on each survey question, we have also reported on composite measures, which combine results for more than one question into one score. There are three composite measures: overall got appointments and care when needed; overall doctor communicated well; and overall office staff was helpful and courteous

The results for composites are reported along with the results for individual questions in each doctor's Survey Results Report. These composite scores will also be reported to the public if they meet the reliability or t-test standards described above for individual questions. In fact, composites tend to have higher reliability statistics and t-test statistics than the individual questions that make up the composites.

We will explain briefly how each composite score was calculated. Respondent-level actual and predicted composite scores were calculated for each survey respondent for each composite measure by averaging the actual and predicted values from each of the questions that make up the composite. After the respondent-level composite values were calculated, the composites were treated in the same manner as the individual questions with regard to calculation of adjusted scores, testing for statistical significance, and calculating reliability. The table below shows an example of a respondent-level composite calculation for a physician who had just a small number of respondents for the office staff composite.