The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research funded the development of a model consumer-oriented health plan scorecard by the Oregon Consumer Scorecard Consortium. The report of this project can aid private and public organizations and States in developing information to help consumers choose health plans that best meet their individual needs and preferences.
A scorecard is an aid to help consumers select a health plan that best meets their individual needs and preferences. It provides comparative health plan information and serves as an educational tool to help consumers understand how various plans "manage" health care. A scorecard can also help consumers make more prudent choices based on the objective, reliable measures of technical quality, health plan performance, and consumer satisfaction.
In addition to helping consumers, a scorecard can serve as a comparative performance measurement tool that provides feedback to health plans, purchasers, and State policymakers about how well health plans are performing and meeting the expectations and needs of their customers.
The Oregon Consumer Scorecard Consortium produced a final project report that contains information on a model consumer-oriented health plan scorecard. The report consists of four sections: 1) background; 2) development of the Consortium model; 3) methods and findings (data and information sources, information review and synthesis, and primary data analysis); and 4) scorecard challenges and findings. It also contains a list of references as well as a membership roster, prototype scorecard stimulus materials, revised stimulus materials, and a consumer satisfaction survey.
Select the electronic version of the Executive Summary of the final report for highlights and key findings.
Printed copies of the final report (including the prototype report card) will be available in late February or early March 1997. Copies may be purchased from:
The National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: (703) 605-6000 or 800-553-6847
The NTIS accession number used for ordering the final report is PB97-117758. Contact NTIS for pricing information.
Current as of February 21, 1997
Return to Measuring Healthcare Quality
Quality Assessment
AHRQ Home Page
Department of Health and Human
Services