Majority of New Yorkers Not Aware of/Not Using Reliable Information to Choose Doctors, Hospitals and HMOs, Despite Widespread Availability

NEW YORK CITY, April 15- Although a wealth of reliable performance data about doctors and hospitals is available from government health agencies and insurance plans, most New York State residents still base their health care decisions on tips from friends, relatives, local health professionals and the media, according to new research by The New York Academy of Medicine. The study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.

Few New Yorkers actually use "official" information-like physician misconduct records, or report cards that compare hospitals' surgical success rates- in their medical decisions, according to random telephone surveys of 1,500 New York State adults conducted in September 2002 and March 2003. Less than half of New York residents surveyed recalled hearing about or seeing any of this type of information in the past year although it has been widely disseminated on government and insurers' websites and in printed mailings and brochures.

When New Yorkers needed information about doctors, 17 percent said they turned to newspapers, television or magazines and another 20 percent turned to non-media sources like family members, co-workers and health professionals. These trends persisted when New Yorkers sought information about the quality of care at hospitals: about 23 percent of consumers relied upon the media for information, while about 20 percent turned to non-media sources, researchers found.

The findings are unexpected because health insurers and government agencies like the state Health Department have been working to provide consumers with information about the quality of doctors, hospitals and HMOs, said lead author Joseph A. Boscarino, Ph.D., M.P.H., Senior Scientist in the Academy Division of Health and Science Policy. This study shows that simply making information available does not ensure it will be utilized by the public, and that a more proactive approach is needed to raise public awareness. Fifty percent of New Yorkers surveyed said they would use more quality information in their medical decisions if it were available in the state-not realizing it already is.

"If consumers don't know the information is available, it's not doing them any good," said Boscarino, who co-authored the study with Academy Research Associate Richard E. Adams, Ph.D. "Dissemination of valid performance data should encourage consumers to seek the best health care that they can afford. New York has a long way to go."

Overall responses differed little among consumers who had private insurance, Medicare or no insurance at all, nor did they vary substantially by geographic region of the state. African Americans were less likely to recall receiving or being exposed to quality-related information than whites and Hispanics. Women and more educated adults were the most likely to report seeing or hearing the information from different sources.

Some types of quality-of-care information carried more weight among consumers than others, when it was in fact used to make health care decisions, Academy researchers found. Whether or not a doctor is board certified, and the number of malpractice suits against that doctor, were more important to consumers than ratings by government agencies and information distributed by HMOs. Women and more educated adults were most likely to view a malpractice suit against a doctor as key information regarding his ability to provide quality care, and were most skeptical that a government agency's rating is a reliable indicator of a doctor's quality. Interestingly, those who turned more often to "official" information sources were more likely to live in a household where someone experienced a medical error - that is someone in the household was once injured or harmed during a medical treatment.

With only 23 percent of New Yorkers surveyed saying they felt highly confident about their past health care decisions, it is clear that consumers are hungry for reliable information to help them improve their choices. "Given that the majority of New Yorkers are not very confident about their recent health care decisions, greater access to accurate medical information and trust in these data appears to be a necessity for improving the quality of care in New York State," Boscarino said.

The New York Academy of Medicine is a non-profit institution founded in 1847 that is dedicated to enhancing the health of the public through research, education and advocacy, with a particular focus on urban populations, especially the disadvantaged.

Extensive data related to hospitals, doctors, managed care plans, nursing homes, and other health providers can be found on the New York State Department of Health.

General healthcare information for consumers can be found on the Academy website.

Posted on April 15, 2004

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Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
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amartin@nyam.org

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