To address the quality of surgeons, Moore organized an examination system to identify untrained doctors.

In order to best examine the effects of the investments, The Times sought to identify doctors who had not bought into previous Columbia partnerships.

Moreover, federal officials said, the data could be released only for bona fide research projects and even then the claim files would not identify doctors by name.

Beginning Saturday, for the first time the United States will have a single data base to identify incompetent doctors, dentists and other licensed health practitioners.

But they have been skittish about any actions that might identify doctors by name.

By relegating the procedure to freestanding clinics, hospitals have made it possible for anti-abortion forces to identify and harass doctors and their patients.

As a result, she said, the commission's inspectors are unlikely to identify incompetent doctors or "substandard patterns of care."

Hospitals, state government agencies and the Federal Government are also making more systematic efforts to identify doctors with a history of malpractice.

The files make it possible to determine average billings for Medicare patients in a given region - and to identify doctors who consistently claim more.

Many health authorities oppose efforts to identify infected doctors or order their activities restricted.