November 2007

Study reveals how consumers shop for healthcare

The number of people inclined to comparison shop for medical services, such as knee surgery, could be much higher than previously thought, according to research conducted by Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Seven out of 10 consumers indicated they would seek out information, such as price and quality, for medical services, according to a recent survey of 2,000 people in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah — the states Regence serves.

“This data fills a gap in our knowledge about consumers, and opens a window on how people would shop for healthcare,” said Robert Harris, who oversees Regence market research.

Of those who thought they would seek out information, 78 percent indicated a preference for quality, while 74 percent indicated a preference for cost. Taken as a whole, almost 50 percent of all 2,000 respondents said they would be “very likely” to compare provider quality, seek out information from reputable medical sources, and rely on the reputation of the service provider.

These results indicate a substantially higher interest in cost and quality information than other research into consumer behavior, Harris said.

Source: Regence, www.regence.com

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