How sophisticated are consumers about the medical care delivery system? / Joseph P. Newhouse, John E. Ware, Jr., Cathy A. Donald.

By:

Newhouse, Joseph P [author.]

Contributor(s):

Series: Publisher: Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 1981Description: ix, 24 pages ; 23 cmContent type:

text

Media type:

computer
unmediated

Carrier type:

online resource
volume

ISBN:

0833003208

Subject(s):

LOC classification:

RA395.A3 N48 1981

Online resources:

Online Access

Available additional physical forms:

Also available on the internet via WWW in PDF format.

Summary: A study of consumer knowledgeability about medical care services and its effect on the role consumers might play in decisions affecting resource allocation, especially whether competition and/or cost-sharing strategies should be pursued or whether regulatory strategies are more promising. An important goal of the study was to derive a scale that would permit measurement of the extent of consumer knowledge. Analyses of a ten-item questionnaire administered to nonaged persons showed that consumers are knowledgeable about some areas of medical care and uninformed about others. If a procompetitive medical care strategy is pursued, consumers need to be educated about board certification, staff privileges, and other factors pertinent to choosing a regular source of medical care. Factor analyses indicated that a substantial amount of information from item responses can be summarized in a multi-item scale that is reliable and valid as a measurement of patient sophistication.

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"April 1981."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-24).

A study of consumer knowledgeability about medical care services and its effect on the role consumers might play in decisions affecting resource allocation, especially whether competition and/or cost-sharing strategies should be pursued or whether regulatory strategies are more promising. An important goal of the study was to derive a scale that would permit measurement of the extent of consumer knowledge. Analyses of a ten-item questionnaire administered to nonaged persons showed that consumers are knowledgeable about some areas of medical care and uninformed about others. If a procompetitive medical care strategy is pursued, consumers need to be educated about board certification, staff privileges, and other factors pertinent to choosing a regular source of medical care. Factor analyses indicated that a substantial amount of information from item responses can be summarized in a multi-item scale that is reliable and valid as a measurement of patient sophistication.

Also available on the internet via WWW in PDF format.

Description based on print version record.