Effective reports for health care quality data: Lessons from a CAHPS demonstration in Washington state

Advances in quality measurement and increased interest by lay persons in being more involved in decisions about their health care have created a significant demand from consumers for information on quality of health care.  Developing easy-to-use and understandable formats for presenting health care quality information to consumers is a necessary condition for meeting this demand and for stimulating competition on quality.  Consumers’ decisions about which health plan and provider to select are often not based on standardized quality information, but recent studies suggest that there is increasing interest in consumer survey data.  If consumers can be given salient, accurate, and easily interpretable reports on quality of health care, this may not only help them to make better choices about their health care, but health care organizations may also be more motivated to improve the quality of care that they provide. (December 10, 1998)