Patients Who Check Costs Online Choose Better Docs

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

According to a recent study, patients who used an online tool to check costs of procedures and treatments ultimately chose a higher quality doctor.

A study by UnitedHealthcare has found that, when patients research healthcare costs online, they make better decisions for their health. “Over the years, consumers have been burdened with greater responsibility for a growing portion of their health care costs,” explains the study. “This extra burden makes it more important for consumers to have meaningful information about treatment alternatives and their associated quality and costs. Internet-based transparency tools are one way to educate consumers on the variation in physicians’ quality and costs.”

MedCity News reports the study compared more than 425,000 users and non-users of UnitedHealthcare’s myHealthcare Cost Estimator. Younger members were more likely to use the online tool and nearly 40 percent of users had a consumer-driven health plan.

“Regardless of differences in member characteristics, we found that the myHCE tool engages all consumers and is associated with greater usage of ‘quality and efficient’ physicians. This effect was evident among members despite whether or not they had higher cost-sharing medical plans.”

Since its launch in 2012, the transparency tool has received estimates for over $2.8 billion in healthcare. The mobile app has been downloaded more than 1 million times, allowing patients to ‘comparison shop’ for their physicians.

“Price and quality transparency tools delivered to consumers via the internet may be an effective way to engage consumers in seeking quality and cost-effective treatments. Future research should focus on examining changes in outcomes through a robust pre-post study design,” concluded researchers.