Consumers are able to choose low-cost providers who deliver high-quality care if the right information is made available to them, according to a new study funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that appears in the March issue of Health Affairs.
A team of researchers studied 1,400 employees in a randomized experiment to find out how they responded to different presentations of quality and cost information. The study found when consumers were given transparent information on healthcare providers based on cost, they were more likely to choose the more expensive option. This suggests consumers equate cost with quality and worry that lower cost means lower quality care.
However, when consumers were shown the "right mix" of cost and quality information, they were better able to choose high-value healthcare providers — defined as those who deliver high-quality care at a lower cost.
A team of researchers studied 1,400 employees in a randomized experiment to find out how they responded to different presentations of quality and cost information. The study found when consumers were given transparent information on healthcare providers based on cost, they were more likely to choose the more expensive option. This suggests consumers equate cost with quality and worry that lower cost means lower quality care.
However, when consumers were shown the "right mix" of cost and quality information, they were better able to choose high-value healthcare providers — defined as those who deliver high-quality care at a lower cost.
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