Difficulty in seeking information about health care quality and costs: The field of dreams fallacy

Abstract

While government agencies and health organizations have increased efforts to provide online information about health care quality and costs, we know little about whether individuals seek out or understand this information. Using results from a Louisiana telephone survey (N = 1030), we examine intent to use a website devoted to information about health care quality and costs and self-reported difficulty in finding this information. Intent to use a website is driven primarily by prior Internet use while difficulty in learning about health care quality is associated with greater choice in health care providers and dissatisfaction with current care.

Keywords:

• Online information seeking
• Health care quality
• Health care costs
• Choice in providers
• Satisfaction with care

Notes

1 In a 2000 study, the Pew Research Center reported that approximately 25% of adults went online for health information. By 2009, that number had increased to 61%.

2 Being under-insured may similarly affect online information seeking, but unfortunately we lack a measure to capture the adequacy of insurance coverage.