Understanding Americans' Health Agenda

Presents survey results, by race/ethnicity and income, on the quality of health care and hospital care respondents receive and in the country overall, differences among hospitals, racial/ethnic disparities, and criteria for choosing hospitals or surgeons

2008 Update on Consumers' Views of Patient Safety and Quality Information

Presents survey results on Americans' exposure to, use of, and perceptions of comparative quality information on healthcare providers and insurance plans. Outlines trends since 1996, lists reported problems, and analyzes selected data by education level

Consumer perceptions of safety in hospitals

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating adverse events have traditionally been principally undertaken from a medical perspective. The impact that experience of an adverse event has on consumer confidence in health care is largely unknown. The objectives of the study were to seek public opinion on 1) the rate and severity of adverse events experienced in hospitals; and 2) the perception of safety in hospitals, so that predictors of lack of safety could be identified. METHODS: A multistage, clustered survey of persons residing in South Australia (2001), using household interviews (weighted n = 2,884). RESULTS: A total of 67% of respondents aged over forty years reported having at least one member of their household hospitalised in the past five years; with the average being two hospital admissions in five years. Respondents stated that 7.0% (95%CI: 6.2% to 7.9%) of those hospital admissions were associated with an adverse event; 59.7% of respondents (95% CI: 51.4% to 67.5%) rated the adverse event as really serious and 48.5% (95% CI: 40.4% to 56.8%) stated prolonged hospitalisation was required as a consequence of the adverse event. Perception of safety in hospitals was largely affected by the experience of an adverse event; really serious events were the most significant predictor of lack of safety in those aged 40 years and over (RR 2.38; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The experience of adverse events negatively impacted on public confidence in hospitals. The consumer-reported adverse event rate in hospitals (7.0%) is similar to that identified using medical record review. Based on estimates from other studies, self-reported claims of adverse events in hospital by consumers appear credible, and should be considered when developing appropriate treatment regimes

Choosing a Health Care Provider: The Role of Quality Information

Reviews research on the adequacy of the information available on provider quality; the type of information consumers seek in choosing physicians, physician groups, and hospitals; and their attitudes about, awareness of, and use of that information

The Public and the Health Care Delivery System

Analyzes survey results on Americans' views on the adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) and its effects on the quality of care, effectiveness, costs, and patient privacy; the efficiency of the system; the impact of rising costs; and other issues

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Anonymity or transparency in reporting of medial error: a community-based survey in South Australia

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Objectives: To seek public opinion on the reporting of medical errors and the anonymity of healthcare workers who report medical errors. Design and participants: A random, representative survey of 2005 South Australians in April 2002, using telephone interviews based on a vignette provided. Main outcome measures: When a medical error occurs (i) whether the incident should be reported, and (ii) whether the report should disclose the healthcare worker’s identity. Results: (i) Most respondents (94.2%; 95% CI, 93.0%–95.2%) believed healthcare workers should report medical errors. (ii) 68.0% (95% CI, 65.5%–70.5%) of those in favour of reporting believed the healthcare worker should be identified on the report, while 29.2% (95% CI, 26.7%–31.7%) favoured anonymous reporting. Conclusions: Most respondents believed that, when a healthcare worker makes an error, an incident report should be written and the individual should be identified on the report. Respondents were reluctant to accept healthcare worker anonymity, even though this may encourage reporting.Sue M Evans, Jesia G Berry, Brian J Smith and Adrian J Esterma