Consumer-Driven Health Care: The Changing Role of the Patient

This study reviews the technological, legislative, and financial changes that may lead patients to assume more responsibility for their medical care. Many employers offer health plans with high deductibles and free or low-cost preventive care which encourages plan members to manage their health care utilization. Based on this research, the author states that if obstacles to consumer-driven health care were removed, health care quality would improve, and rising health care costs would be better contained. The study provides examples of how patients respond to opportunities to manage their health care. For example, patients can:

• Use the Internet to gather medical information
   
• Use e-mail to communicate with personal physicians to obtain a diagnosis
   
• Perform basic diagnostic tests at home with over-the-counter kits, such as pregnancy testing or strep testing
   
• Obtain a battery of more than 50 blood tests for as little as $90 by leaving a blood sample at a commercial testing center
   
• Shop on-line for lower-cost prescription drugs