title: What influences the awareness of physician quality information? Implications for Medicare.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Examine the factors that are associated with awareness of physician quality information (PQI) among older people with one or more chronic illnesses and the implications for Medicare.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random digit-dial survey of adults with one or more chronic illnesses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structural equation modeling to examine factors related to awareness of PQI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Awareness of PQI is low (13 percent), but comparable to findings in general population surveys. Age, race, education, and self-reported health status are associated with PQI awareness. Trust in the Internet as a source of health care information and not trusting one's physician as a source of information both are associated with a greater likelihood of being aware of PQI. Patients with high levels of activation have greater trust in physicians as information sources, but this is not associated with awareness, nor is degree of satisfaction with their care experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Awareness of PQI among older persons with chronic illnesses is relatively low across all socio-economic and demographic subgroups. Changes in population characteristics over time are unlikely to improve awareness in this population, nor are changes in patient activation or satisfaction with care. Medicare would need a broad-based effort if it wishes to raise PQI awareness among Medicare beneficiaries in the near term. Before undertaking resource-intensive efforts to increase awareness, Medicare may want to consider what level of awareness actually is needed to accomplish the overall objective for PQI transparency, which is raising the quality of care received by beneficiaries. It may be that relatively low levels of awareness are sufficient.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota School of Public Health-Division of Health Policy and Management.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Christianson
authors.affiliation: Geisinger Health System-Center for Health Research.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maeng
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota School of Public Health-Division of Health Policy and Management.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.affiliation: The Pennsylvania State University-Department of Health Policy & Administration.
authors.forename: Dennis P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Scanlon
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan-Health Management and Policy.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: The Pennsylvania State University-Department of Health Policy & Administration.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mittler
authors.affiliation: Finch and King Consulting.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Finch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010820:Physicians / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014481:United States
keywords: Medicare; awareness of physician quality measures; chronic illness; older persons; patient activation; public reporting