Users of Public Reports of Hospital Quality: Who, What, Why, and How?

An aggregate analysis of 16 online public reporting Web sites and users' and experts' suggestions for improvement

States, community quality collaboratives, and others are investing millions of dollars in the sponsorship and development of public reports on the quality of hospital care. The hope is that these reports will stimulate quality improvement, increase accountability, and improve consumer choices. Although the major method of distributing these reports is through Web sites, it is not known who visits these public reporting Web sites or how Web site visitors use the data presented. This report provides information on who visits these sites and how they use the information, focusing on consumers and health care professionals, the primary target audiences.

Prepared by:
Naomi S. Bardach, M.D.
University of California, San Francisco
Judith H. Hibbard, Ph.D.
University of Oregon
R. Adams Dudley, M.D., M.B.A.
University of California, San Francisco

With assistance from:
Renee Asteria-Penaloza, M.P.H.
Lena Libatique
Edie Wade, Ph.D.
Shoujun Zhao, Ph.D.
Jim Anderson, M.A.
Aaron Kellem, B.A.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Executive Summary
Introduction
Section 1. Methods
   Population and Setting
   Web Analytics
   Survey
   Expert Review of Web Sites
Section 2. Who Is Coming to the Web Sites?
   Key Findings
   Implications
Section 3. How Do Visitors Arrive at the Web Sites and Who Stays?
   Key Findings
   Implications
Section 4. Visitors' Overall Ratings of the Web Sites
   Key Findings
   Implications
Section 5. Consumers' Feedback
   Key Findings
   Implications
Section 6. Health Care Professionals' Feedback
   Key Findings
   Implications
Section 7. Expert Review of Web Sites
   Key Findings
   Implications
Section 8. Summary Recommendations and Conclusions
Appendix A: Consumer and Health Care Professional Characteristics
Appendix B: Numeric Summary of Survey Responses by Respondent Type
Appendix C: Summary of Write-in Survey Responses by Respondent Type
 

This document is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without permission. AHRQ appreciates citation as to source.