The applicants are a consortium of experts in consumer survey design, implementation, and evaluation from the Harvard Medical School and Statistics Department, the Picker Institute, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the Center for Survey Research at the University of Massachusetts, Lewin-VHI, The New England Medical Center, and American Institutes for Research. The goal of the project are to (1) produce survey protocols for collecting reliable and valid information from consumers regarding their assessment of health plans and services; (2) develop and test the effectiveness of different report formats for conveying results to consumers and benefits managers; (3) demonstrate the resulting survey protocols; and (4) evaluate the usefulness of the survey information for consumers and purchasers selecting health plans and services. Special attention will be devoted to refining the modules for children, and persons with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Emphasis also will be given to studying the reliability, validity, and usefulness of the survey and survey results among racial and ethnic minorities, participants in publicly financed health programs, persons in rural areas, and persons with low literacy skills. We will evaluate the usefulness of the survey protocols, survey results, and report formats for individual users of health care services and group purchasers of health care benefit, such as major and small employers in sites to be selected in conjunction with AHCPR.
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