New Report on Where Consumers Find Health Care Ratings Information

The ratings culture in the US has exploded in the last decade with consumers turning to reviews for dining, shopping, vacationing, and even home improvements. Now, as they spend more of their own money on health and wellness, consumers are beginning to search for rating systems to guide their decision making. Suddenly consumers want to see stars, grades, and scores on their doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies. A new report from PwC surveyed 1,000 consumers in late 2012 to assess the state of healthcare ratings. While nearly half (48%) of consumers said they have read health-related reviews, only one-third has used reviews to make decisions on where to get care. The single largest source for information was Consumer Reports, identified by 43% of respondents who have read reviews. The main finding of the report is that while Consumer Reports scored highest among sources, a single trusted source of reviews and ratings has yet to emerge in the health industry, but this trend toward ratings is prompting healthcare companies to focus on patient experience that goes beyond satisfaction.