02585cam a2200445 i 4500 rnd000000000047144 RAND 920212s1981 cau b 000 0 eng d 81007322 0833003208 RAND/R-2693-HHS (Sirsi) a188124 $20.00 CstmoR CstmoR n-us--- RA395.A3 N48 1981 Newhouse, Joseph P. author. How sophisticated are consumers about the medical care delivery system? / Joseph P. Newhouse, John E. Ware, Jr., Cathy A. Donald. Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 1981. ix, 24 pages ; 23 cm text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia unmediated n rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier volume nc rdacarrier Health insurance experiment series "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. Medical care United States Public opinion. Public opinion United States. Consumer Participation. Delivery of Health Care United States. Ware, John E. author. Donald, Cathy A., 1947- author. Rand Corporation. United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Online Access http://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R2693/ 598385 598385