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Survey: Consumers Want More Healthcare Info

March 28, 2005
A RAND Corporation study finds that 70 percent of Americans turn to the Internet for healthcare decisions; 60 percent said they also talk to their doctors.

More than 60 percent of American consumers have searched for information to help them make treatment decisions in the last 12 months with about one-third saying the information they found affected their treatment choices or their choice of a healthcare facility, according to the RAND Corporation report.

The report, released by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), includes a national survey of more than 4,300 consumers.

"This report demonstrates that consumers -- as patients -- are actively seeking information about appropriate medical care options for themselves and their families," said Maureen Sullivan, senior vice president of Strategic Services for BCBSA.

The report also demonstrates consumers want more information to help make their healthcare choices and how decision-support tools can impact the decision-making process.

According to the survey, 52 percent of consumers said they wanted to make the final treatment decision for themselves or a family member -- 38 percent said they wanted to make the decision together with their doctors. Consumer interest in more active care decision-making increases the need for effective healthcare decision-support tools.

A separate consumer survey conducted by Hart Research on behalf of the BCBSA last fall, revealed that despite their strong interest in taking an active role in their healthcare, consumers feel they are not in a position to affect the cost or quality of care they receive.

Survey results showed:

• Half (50 percent) of those surveyed believe it is beyond the control of most individuals to affect the quality of the healthcare that they receive.

• Just 45 percent think there is a lot that individuals can do to make sure they receive quality care. Even fewer consumers believe that individuals can affect the costs that they pay for healthcare.

• Two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents believe that individuals cannot have much effect on their healthcare costs, whereas just 31 percent believe that there is a lot individuals can do to affect their healthcare costs.

"Although consumers perceive they have a lack of influence on cost and quality, we have seen over time that providing information to consumers and realigning incentives to promote quality care leads to higher consumer satisfaction, better healthcare outcomes and greater affordability," Sullivan said. "In short, better knowledge leads to better and more affordable care for consumers."

With consumers increasingly being asked to take a more active role in their healthcare, much of the public focus has been on information about prevention and healthy lifestyle choices. The RAND report, however, looks specifically at how consumers use information when making critical care decisions for themselves and their families.

"This report gives us a glimpse at how much demand there is for clinical decision-support tools as well as the potential for improving patient satisfaction and quality," said Mark Spranca, director of The Center for e-Health and Behavioral Scientist for the RAND Corporation.

"More than 60 percent of the people we surveyed said they searched for medical information for themselves or a family member at some time in the past year. Almost all of these people had a specific condition requiring a treatment decision.

"It's also interesting that of the 40 percent of the people we surveyed who had not searched for supporting information in the last year, 94 percent said they would search for information to support their treatment choice should they or a family member need medical care," said Spranca.

As part of the study, RAND reviewed existing literature on how treatment decision tools affect treatment behaviors and found that patients using decision aids are more likely to make more conservative treatment choices.

For example, cardiac revascularization rates were lower among patients exposed to decision-support tools. More detailed information had an even greater impact, as RAND discovered that back surgery rates were lower among patients exposed to more detailed information than patients exposed to simpler decision aids.

"Most consumers are satisfied with the information they are finding," Spranca said. "Only seven percent of those surveyed said they were dissatisfied with the information they found."

About 70 percent of consumers surveyed said they turn to the Internet most often to find the information they need to make treatment decisions. About 60 percent said they also go to their doctor.

"This is a clear indication we should empower consumers to become better informed when making critical healthcare decisions," said Sullivan.

"The challenge for physicians, hospitals and payers is to provide information to consumers in an easy-to-use format that helps them understand their treatment choices. This report shows us that there are significant opportunities to build upon the quality and affordability initiatives that already exist within our healthcare system."

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