Interactive Consumer Decision Assistance System

This research will develop a user friendly decision assistance system that provides the consumerwith a personalized approach in helping to make health care plan decisions. this interactive tool will usecomputer-based choice/trade-off methodology to help people organize and think through the implicationsof their personal values and attitudes associated with different types of health care coverage. Theprocess begins with the consumer entering data which realistically portrays their personal situation. Theuser then responds to questions which require making choices or trade-offs between the relativeimportance of various attributes and qualities associated with a select number of health care plans. Thesystem provides consumers with both objective information on plan elements and a personalizedperspective on how well different plans match their needs. The final development of the prototype ofthe decision assistance system will be completed by the end of Phase I.