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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Kristin L. Carman, PhD¹, Kelly J. Devers, PhD², Jeanne McGee, PhD³, Pamela Dardess¹, Judith Hibbard, PhD⁴, and Richard Frankel, PhD⁵. (1) Health Program, American Institutes for Research, 1000 Thomas Jefferson, Washington, DC 20009, 202-403-5090, kcarman@air.org, (2) Department of Health Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University, Grant House, 1008 East Clay Street, Richmond, VA 23298-0203, (3) McGee & Evers Consulting, Inc., 1924 NW 111th Street, Vancouver, WA 98685, (4) Department of Planning, Public Policy & Management, University of Oregon, 1209 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1209, (5) Department of Medicine, Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University, Regenstrief Institute RG-6, 1050 Wishard Blvd, Indianopolis, IN 46202

The goals of this project were to (1) directly compare physician and patient perspectives about talking with each other about hospital quality data; (2) compare how each would use the information; and (3) to identify approaches and tools to help patients talk with their doctors and to understand and use hospital quality information.

To accomplish these goals, we conducted an innovative study in which we developed professionally produced audiotaped vignettes, or simulated conversations between physicians and patients about hospital quality information. We played these vignettes in focus groups conducted with both patients and physicians, using the vignettes as devices to trigger conversation. We conducted 10 focus groups across 2 sites. We conducted groups in Madison, WI and conducted groups in Richmond, VA, working with Virginia Commonwealth University. In Madison, we conducted 3 patient groups and 2 physician groups (1 with PCPs and 1 with specialists). In Richmond, we conducted 2 patient groups and 3 physician groups (2 with PCPs and 1 with specialists).

We will discuss the potential benefits of physician-patient dialog about hospital quality, the serious danger of misunderstandings between patients and physicians, areas of agreement in perspectives and concrete strategies that are supported by our research.

Learning Objectives:

(
• Describe physician and patient attitudes toward national efforts to publicly report on hospital quality. (
• Describe physician and consumer attitudes toward consumer’s discussing hospital quality data with physicians and use of hospital quality data for choosing a hospital. (
• Describe concrete strategies and approaches to ensure positive communications about hospital quality data between physicians and patients and the implications for public reporting of comparative quality data.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation