THE CONSUMER AS A PARTNER IN MEDICAL COST CONTAINMENT

PHASE I OF THIS PROPOSED SBIR PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF AND PREPARATION FOR CONDUCTING AN EXPERIMENT ON HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT AFFECTED BY A PROGRAM OF EDUCATION AND MOTIVATION OF THE MEDICAL CONSUMER. PHASE I WILL INCLUDE THE REVIEW, PRE-TESTING AND REVISION OF A CONSUMER GUIDE TO COST-EFFICIENT QUALITY MEDICAL CARE. IN ADDITION, PHASE I WILL INVOLVE THE SOLICITATION/COMMITMENT OF 9 S.F. BAY AREA CORPORATIONS TO SERVE AS TEST SITES; THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEST MEASURES; THE DEVELOPMENT/TESTING OF 2 TYPES OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING PROGRAMS; AND AN EXAMINATION OF BASELINE DATA ON HEALTH CARE COSTS AT THE 9 TEST SITES. SUCCESSFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THESE ACTIVITIES IN PHASE I WILL COMPLETE THE NECESSARY GROUNDWORK FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2-YEAR HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT EXPERIMENT PROPOSED IN PHASE II OF THIS STUDY. THE PHASE II EXPERIMENT WILL INVOLVE EMPLOYEES IN 9 CORPORATE SITES WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF 3 CONDITIONS: 1) AN UNTREATED CONTROL GROUP, 2) AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP GIVEN INFORMATION AND TRAINING ABOUT HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT, AND 3) AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP GIVEN THIS INFORMATION AND ALSO A FISCAL INCENTIVE CONTINGENT ON SUCCESSFUL ADOPTION OF THE RECOMMENDED COST CONTAINMENT STRATEGIE. MATERIAL COSTS AND SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MEDICAL ACTIVITIES SHALL BE COLLECTED AND MONITORED FOR 1 YEAR SUBSEQUENT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERVENTIONS. PRE/POST DATA WILL BE TABULATED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS ON ACTUAL MEDICAL COSTS, AND QUALITATIVE REPORTS WILL FURTHER ASSESS THE MERIT OF THESE INTERVENTIONS.