I came back from two weeks away in August to find a flurry of new data (here and here, for example) about how consumers are using the Internet for health care information searching. There also is more discussion in the ongoing debate about giving consumers access to information to make health care purchasing decisions, highlighted in the last few days by a proposal (not yet enacted, as best I can tell) from Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to set up a state-run health care information office for this purpose.

As explained by Center for the Advancement of Health President Jessie Gruman more eloquently than I ever could, the health care information tools just aren’t sophisticated enough yet to make this model work effectively. As suggested by the essay’s title, “So Many Choices, So Little Information!” consumers’ information demands are not being met.

It may not quite be a supply-and-demand problem given that it often is not a case of too “little information.” In fact, many health information seekers experience an “information overdose.” In many cases, it’s just not the right information–whether it be inaccurate or not comprehensive (such as what I summarized years ago in a white paper based on my own dissertation research), or it lacks specificity to the consumers’ actual needs.

Ultimately, the test for any information is whether it:

1. Answers a consumer’s question directly, accurately, and comprehensively
2. Provides that answer in a way the consumer can understand
3. Can be remembered or internalized at least for the purposes of the immediate need
4. Have sufficient resonance to guide decision making, stimulate sustained behavior, and/or provide comfort/support to the individual in need
5. Be contextualized for that individual’s particular circumstances

No doubt that’s a tall order for any information. That’s why even with the increasing sophistication of technology and information tools, we’re probably going to be more successful if we can integrate the best information we can find into the care delivery process.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 5th, 2008 at 9:59 am and is filed under Engaging Consumers, Information Quality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.