title: Consumers' Interest In Provider Ratings Grows, And Improved Report Cards And Other Steps Could Accelerate Their Use.
abstract: Encouraging patients and consumers to use data and other information in choosing health care providers is an important way to enhance patient engagement and improve the quality of care. The growing use of technology, including smart phones and near-ubiquitous Internet access, provides consumers with easy access to websites that collect and report assessments and ratings of providers, primarily physicians and hospitals. In addition to new technology, recent laws and changes in society and the delivery of care are laying the foundation for greater use by consumers of provider performance report cards. Such use could be accelerated if the shortcomings of current report card efforts were addressed. Recommendations include making online report cards easier to use and more understandable, engaging, substantive, and relevant to consumers' health and medical concerns and choices.
authors.affiliation: Steven D. Findlay (stevenfindlay2@gmail.com) is an independent health care journalist, health policy analyst, and consumer advocate, and a contributing writer and editor for Consumer Reports. He is based in Barnesville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Findlay
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D007255:Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058996:Quality Improvement; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014481:United States
keywords: Consumer engagement; Public reporting; Quality Measurement; Quality improvement