Consumers and quality-driven health care: a call to action.
A key strategy for driving improvements in health care quality is providing comparative quality information to consumers. This strategy will not work, and could even be counterproductive, unless (1) consumers are convinced that quality problems are real and consequential and that quality can be improved; (2) purchasers and policymakers make sure that quality reporting is standardized and universal; (3) consumers are given quality information that is relevant and easy to understand and use; (4) the dissemination of quality information is improved; and (5) purchasers reward quality improvements and providers create the information and organizational infrastructure to achieve them.
Shaller
Dale
D
School of Public Affairs, Baruch College, City University of New York, USA.
Sofaer
Shoshanna
S
Findlay
Steven D
SD
Hibbard
Judith H
JH
Lansky
David
D
Delbanco
Suzanne
S
D019985:Benchmarking; D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D030881:Disclosure / Q000592:standards*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014481:United States