Government
Patients seek medical information, but feel a lack of control over quality of care
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 11, 2005
The majority of patients independently seek information to help them make treatment decisions, according to a new survey conducted for the BlueCross BlueShield Assn. Meanwhile, many patients believe that they have little influence over the quality and cost of care they receive, a separate Blues survey showed.
Sixty percent of patients searched for treatment information in the past 12 months, one survey found. About 52% of respondents said they wanted to make a treatment decision for themselves or their families, while 38% said they would rather make the decision together with their physician.
"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.
In the second survey, 50% of consumers said they did not think that they had much control over the quality of care they receive, and 65% said they could not affect the cost.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/04/11/gvbf0411.htm.
