Change the Beliefs and Attitudes of Health Care Consumers

Changing beliefs and attitudes is a great deal more difficult than providing new information. Nevertheless, unless certain key attitudes and beliefs are addressed, people are unlikely to feel a need to look at a comparative quality report, or think that it is something they could actually understand and use.

Some of these attitudes and beliefs are discussed in the context of the key messages that should be included in the first page of a Web-based report. That first page should be designed to reinforce the messages of your promotional campaign, so it is no accident they are so similar.

However, the advice about key messages focuses on positive statements you would want to make. This discussion focuses on the attitudes and beliefs you need to change to attract a substantial number of people in your community and motivate them to use your report. For example:

• All health care professionals and facilities provide high-quality care.
• I’m satisfied with my doctor so I don’t need this report.
• Even if some health professionals and facilities here in town don’t provide quality care, I know that my personal physician, the hospital I use, the nursing home where my mother resides, are all really first-rate.
• You can’t really measure health care quality.
• The supposed experts may think my physician isn’t great, but I have a good relationship with him and I trust that he does the best he can for me.
• People like me would never be able to understand what professionals are talking about when they discuss health care quality.
• I don’t make health care choices anyway, so I have no reason to look at this report.
• I have health insurance that gives me access to high-quality care.
• Quality information like this is just another form of advertising.

By being aware of both the positive and negative attitudes and beliefs that can influence how an audience will respond to your report, you will be better equipped to craft creative messages—for example, by expressing the negative attitude and then providing an argument against it.

Also in "Clarifying Your Objectives For Promotion"

• Change the Beliefs and Attitudes of Health Care Consumers
• Affect the Behaviors of Health Care Consumers