The Convergence of Transparency and Health Care Web Sites

• Health Care Transparency
• Pricing Information
• Quality Measures
• The Web

Q: What do these things have in common?
A: They are finally converging as a result of the new consumer-driven health care wave. It is a trend that is gaining momentum, and one that cannot be ignored. When the masses have ultimately spoken, legislators may be the ones who mandate what and how much to post online regarding pricing information and quality measures. At that point, some organizations will emerge as leaders and patient advocates, while others will resist with all their power, destroying every last ounce of their goodwill.

This blog is devoted entirely to discussing best practices and principles that are driving health care organizations' Web strategies — specifically, issues relating to transparency and the posting of quality measures/pricing information.

At this point, there remain more questions than answers:

1. What can hospitals hope to gain by adopting Web transparency policies early?
2. How many hospitals are posting this information already?
3. Who ultimately benefits from making this information available?
4. Why are hospitals traditionally resistant to transparency?
5. Who will be the real winners and losers once consumer-driven health care takes hold?
6. Are there any resources for hospitals that are starting from square one?