This project was completed in November 2010
In brief
- With increasing emphasis being placed on the role of the internet in helping people to make informed choices about their health care, this project explored whether or not comparative hospital data helps patients to make better choices.
- The project, a joint venture between The King’s Fund and experts in decision making at the London School of Economics and the IESE Business School, sought to inform the development of public- and patient-facing websites that present comparative information about quality and performance.
- The project makes recommendations about how comparative quality information can best be presented to ensure that it is clear and accessible to all, regardless of levels of education, literacy and/or numeracy, and to maximise the role that quality information can play in decision making.
- We examined how patients use comparative performance information and which factors are important to them when choosing a hospital. We also assess how comparative performance information is presented and how this presentation affects decision making.
- The final report provides commentary and recommendations for policy-makers and those designing online comparative quality information. The report has now been published.
Also in this project
- In brief
- Approach »
- Findings »
- Project team »
