RT Journal
A1 Lagu T, Lindenauer PK
T1 PUtting the public back in public reporting of health care quality
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2010
FD October 20
VO 304
IS 15
SP 1711
OP 1712
DO 10.1001/jama.2010.1499
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2010.1499
AB 
Recent efforts to increase transparency regarding the quality of health care have been guided, in part, by the notion that this information will help patients make better choices about where to seek care.1 Despite substantial progress in measure development and dissemination, there is limited evidence that patients are putting such information to use,2 and only 6% of Americans are familiar with Hospital Compare, the quality reporting Web site maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).3 There are several reasons for this: patients who are acutely ill rarely have the time to compare potential sources of care, clinical knowledge is required to make sense of most hospital process measures, the concept of a risk-standardized outcome is difficult to understand, and patients may not recognize the possibility that quality of care might vary.4 Additionally, patients may still prefer referrals from trusted family members or physicians over information obtained on the internet; practical matters, such as hospital location, often trump other considerations; and insurance co-payments may instill additional barriers to choice.