21 research outputs found
How do healthcare consumers process and evaluate comparative healthcare information? A qualitative study using cognitive interviews
Background: To date, online public healthcare reports have not been effectively used by
consumers. Therefore, we qualitatively examined how healthcare consumers process and evaluate
comparative healthcare information on the Internet.
Methods: Using semi-structured cognitive interviews, interviewees (n = 20) were asked to think
aloud and answer questions, as they were prompted with three Dutch web pages providing
comparative healthcare information.
Results: We identified twelve themes from consumers' thoughts and evaluations. These themes
were categorized under four important areas of interest: (1) a response to the design; (2) a
response to the information content; (3) the use of the information, and (4) the purpose of the
information.
Conclusion: Several barriers to an effective use of comparative healthcare information were
identified, such as too much information and the ambiguity of terms presented on websites.
Particularly important for future research is the question of how comparative healthcare
information can be integrated with alternative information, such as patient reviews on the Internet.
Furthermore, the readability of quality of care concepts is an issue that needs further attention,
both from websites and communication experts.