AHRQ Report: Why Patients Review Quality Reporting Websites

A three-month analysis of 16 hospital quality-reporting website surveys revealed that nearly half of all visitors to such websites are consumers, while healthcare professionals made up one third of all visitors, reports AHRQ. The “typical” consumer site visitor was over the age of 45, Caucasian, and likely had at least an undergraduate degree; other populations, such as Medicaid patients, nonwhite patients, and those with less than a college degree, were underrepresented in survey results. The authors note that websites might need to identify additional methods of outreach in order to contact more patient populations.