One suggested method for improving quality of care is to rate or rank health plans and health care providers and then publish this information to help consumers make choices. Two important aspects of this approach are whether consumers have access to the information and whether they use the information in making decisions about their health care. People were slightly more likely to say they had seen and used health care quality information in 2004 compared to 2000 (35% said they saw any quality information in 2004 vs. 27% in 2000). In 2004, they were more likely to say they had seen information comparing the quality of health insurance plans (28%) than hospitals (22%) or doctors (11%). The share that said they saw and used quality information to make health care decisions increased from 12% in 2000 to 19% in 2004.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation/Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/ Harvard School of Public Health, National Survey on Consumers’ Experiences with Patient Safety and Quality Information, November 2004, Chart 10 (conducted July 7-September 5, 2004) at http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/7209.cfm.