Practice Rating
Structured, approved observations describe the provider practice pattern once the minimum rating threshold is met.
Evidence Confidence
Approved evidence describes how mature and supported the profile is, including during the early-profile stage.
Profile maturity
Early profiles show useful approved counts immediately. Named strengths and concerns wait until the same observation repeats enough to justify aggregate publication.
1. Structured experience reports
Each new report identifies a provider, interaction type, approximate service window, and standardized practice observations. Reporters may also provide narrative context and redacted supporting material. Positive and concern observations use the same review workflow.
2. Practice Rating
For each approved experience containing at least one accepted structured observation:
The provider's internal Practice Score is the average experience signal mapped to 0–100:
| Score | Public label |
|---|---|
| 80–100 | Trusted |
| 60–79 | Preferred |
| 40–59 | Mixed |
| 0–39 | Watch |
Minimum-data rule: a provider needs at least two approved, rating-eligible experiences before Compass publishes a numeric Practice Score or tier. Until then the profile is labeled Early or Emerging rather than simply appearing empty. The directory can still show approved experience volume, Evidence Confidence, evidence counts, and counts of reviewed positive and concern signals.
3. Evidence Confidence
Evidence Confidence is separate from the Practice Rating. Accepted evidence never makes a provider “good” or “bad”; it increases confidence in the amount of information supporting the assessment.
| Source | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Approved experiences | 30 |
| Accepted supporting documents | 30 |
| Corroborated structured patterns | 20 |
| Accepted public records | 20 |
| Confidence | Score |
|---|---|
| Strong | 75–100 |
| Moderate | 50–74 |
| Developing | 25–49 |
| Limited | 0–24 |
4. Early signals and the repeated-pattern threshold
An approved report is useful before a repeated pattern exists. During the early-profile stage, Compass may show the number of reviewed positive and concern signals and the amount of accepted evidence supporting the profile. It does not publish the reporter's identity, narrative story, or the specific name of a one-off structured observation.
A named practice observation appears publicly as a repeated strength or concern only when it is present in at least two approved reports and at least 20% of the provider's approved reports in the current review window. The same threshold applies to strengths and concerns.
5. Review and right of reply
New submissions begin as pending-review. Compass reviews provider identity, the provider-facing description, structured observations, and supporting files. Supporting evidence is accepted or rejected separately. A provider right-of-reply notice is sent only after the provider-facing description has been reviewed for privacy.
Cases do not enter the public calculation until the review/right-of-reply workflow is complete and the case is approved. Under Review is a workflow status, not a negative grade.
6. 36-month window and change history
Public profiles use a rolling 36-month window. Rebuilds record material changes in practice rating and evidence confidence so profiles can show dated change history.
7. Legacy reports
Older Compass submissions can be migrated into the v5 structure without rewriting the original record. They are marked as legacy submissions. Existing structured flags are converted into observation records; historical evidence counts are preserved as legacy evidence records, and recoverable case-folder attachments can be linked to the new evidence table.
8. Limits
Compass ratings, early-profile signal counts, and repeated patterns are informational summaries of approved, de-identified practice signals. They are not disciplinary findings, professional credentials, medical or legal advice, guarantees of future experiences, or substitutes for independent due diligence.