Consumer perspectives on health care decision-making: quality, cost and access to information
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Author(s):
- Weiss, Linda, author Scherer, Maya, author Shih, Anthony, author
- Contributor(s):
- New York Academy of Medicine, issuing body.
- Publication:
- New York, NY : New York Academy of Medicine, April 2016
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Access to Information Consumer Behavior Decision Making Health Care Costs Quality of Health Care Databases as Topic Focus Groups Health Services Accessibility Quality Indicators, Health Care -- utilization Humans New York New York City United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Increased access to health care data, growing concerns regarding cost, and shifts to greater patient responsibility for medical expenditures have catalyzed attention to "transparency," to give patients access to health care information that they can use to assess--and make decisions on--the cost and quality of care. New York State (NYS) is in the process of creating an All Payer Database (APD) that will enable new levels of data transparency. This study examined consumer perspectives on health care quality and cost information to inform the development of an online consumer transparency tool. Focus groups were convened in 2015 in three New York State cities: Buffalo, Albany and New York City. Eligibility criteria included having private insurance, regular health care use, and prior use of publicly available health care data. Individuals with high deductibles were prioritized. Discussion topics included perspectives and preferences regarding quality and cost related indicators and sources, as well as the format for dissemination of information. Focus group findings include the following: (1) Participants infrequently described using quality indicators commonly utilized by health care professionals, such as procedure volume or infection rate, to make decisions about health care providers. Instead, participants focused on provider communication skills, convenience and credentials. (2) Participants were often unsure where to go for reliable, objective information about provider quality and cost. Personal recommendations and internet research--most often through sites such as Google and Yelp--were common sources of information. However, internet results were considered inconsistent and required excessive time and patience to navigate. (3) Cost was important to participants, but many said they did not seek this information before choosing a provider. Additionally, accurate cost information was often viewed as difficult to obtain. (4) Participants identified a need for increased access to objective data and felt a simple, web-based, interactive resource including information on multiple domains was best. Suggested content included information regarding access (e.g., location, hours, wait time), provider training and experience, interpersonal skills, volume and outcomes data, as well as patient reviews.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (45 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101715341 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101715341