Who's Aware of and Using Public Reports of Provider Quality?

Public reporting of health care provider quality is intended to spark consumer informed decision-making, yet there is concern that it might exacerbate disparities. This study explores the extent to which people with chronic conditions are aware of and using comparative quality information (CQI) on hospitals and doctors, and how awareness and use of the information differs by individuals' socio-demographic characteristics. Using a large 2011/2012 survey of adults with chronic conditions, we find low awareness of hospital and doctor CQI (26% and 16% respectively), and lower CQI use (8% and 6% respectively). Findings related to equity in awareness and use by socio-demographic subgroups was mixed. Higher education and income were related to greater CQI awareness, however Whites were less likely to be aware of and use CQI than African Americans and Latinos. The magnitudes of these differences, however, were not large; all groups had modest levels of CQI awareness and use.