Context-Based

Strategies for Engaging

Consumers in Using

Public ReportsDale Shaller Shaller Consulting GroupSeptember 20, 2011

Overview The nature of engagement Why context matters Examples of choice contexts that can

help engage consumers Implications for public reporting:

meeting consumers halfway

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The nature of engagementWhy don’t people pay more attention to the

public reports out there today? Our capacity to make informed choices is

limited Faced with complex choices, people take

short cuts to minimize cognitive effort Most short cuts are driven by emotions, not

reason Emotion-driven decisions often lead people

to ignore or overlook important information

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A new approach: context-based strategies for engaging consumersWhy does context matter? Context affects our motivation to pay

attention and learn Context evokes past experiences that

influence what we pay attention to Context contributes to our emotional

states

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Short-term treatment episodes External disruptions prompting the

need to choose a new provider Serious chronic conditions Problematic medical experiences

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4 contexts for promoting engagement

Elective use of services such as joint replacements, cosmetic surgery, and

maternity care Highly “shoppable” services: people

can often plan in advance, choose providers

May also face cost-sharing incentives Targeted promotion of public reports

has proven effective in some cases Example:

http://www.calhospitalcompare.org maternity campaign

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Short-term treatment episodes

CalHospitalCompare Maternity Site:Online Marketing Campaign Key strategies:

Ad content and placement

Search words Branded e-mails Promotional event

Results: Substantial increase in

web traffic Key lessons:

Match medium/message to audience

Target diverse segments

Strategic placement Continuous monitoring

Moving to a new area, changing jobs, changing to a health plan with a different

network, etc. Strong motivation to learn: you have to

choose a new provider Potential for unsettled emotions and anxiety May have limited time to make a decision Need for timely, easy-to-use information

from a trusted source Example: State of MN public insurance program

http://www.mmb.state.mn.us/insdir/provider_directory.aspx8

External disruptions

MN Advantage Health Plan Clinic Directory

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A large and growing segment of the U.S. population: half of all adults have at least

one chronic illness Chronic disease creates a continuing need

for monitoring and management Strong motivation to learn, especially after

initial diagnosis Need to match content of public reports to

nature of disease, and combine measures with management information:

MN Community Measurement’s http://www.theD5.org

Wisconsin Health Reports: http://www.wisconsinhealthreports.org

Example: State of MN public insurance program

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Serious chronic conditions

The D5 for Diabetes(Minnesota Community Measurement)

URL: http://thed5.org

D5 Scores for Stillwater Medical Group

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Wisconsin Health Reports

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Almost 8% of Americans report switching doctors each year in response to some

problem High motivation to learn since stakes are

high Emotions run toward fear or anger

Anger may induce information seeking to minimize future risk

Intense fear may lead to information avoidance

Effective engagement may require metrics highlighting negative scores, and help from patient advocates

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Problematic medical experiences

Implications for reporting strategies Focus on transitional states Use emotional cues to engage people Provide content that is relevant to the

choice situation Go beyond ratings to present other useful

information Do the hard work for your audience

Bring all the metrics and care management information together in one place…and simplify!

Target promotion and delivery Provide help and assistance in using

reports!15

Reference and Acknowledgments“Meeting Consumers Halfway: Context-Driven

Strategies for Engaging Consumers to Use Public Reports on Health Care Providers”

Dale Shaller, MPADavid Kanouse, PhD, RANDMark Schlesinger, PhD, Yale

Paper Commissioned for AHRQ Summit on Public ReportingMarch 23, 2011

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