(National Quality Forum: Washington, D.C.) -- To support consumer engagement and improved quality in health care, the National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed guidelines for consumer-focused, internet-based public reporting. These guidelines will assist report sponsors to present information about hospital quality in an evidence-based and consumer-friendly format that can be used to make informed decisions about health care.

“These guidelines offer public report design and implementation strategies to increase the value and usefulness of publicly reported information for consumers, and to stimulate industry action toward improvement in quality of care, patient safety, and patient-centeredness,” says Janet Corrigan, NQF president and CEO. “Consumers can access reliable information about almost everything they buy, but there is very little consumer-focused information available to make informed decisions about health care.”

Consumers don’t always seek out or use the information available to guide their health care choices. For the most part, public reports have been difficult to understand and use, haven’t adequately communicated what quality of care is, and haven’t convinced consumers to pay attention to quality.

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