Health cost comparison web sites pick up

With data emerging of new trends in patient research into medical conditions, therapy options and health care providers, a new study has tracked the rise of price comparison and customer feedback web sites for US patients. A survey by Forrester Research found that, in June this year, 43% of respondents searched on the Internet for patient opinions of individual physicians. Comparing costs came seventh at 21%, however, the survey's organizers noted that cost data was new and patients were slowly becoming used to the idea.

Julie Hanson, a Forrester analyst, said: "we'll start to see more of an increase as more consumers are exposed to the health care consumerism concepts."

Several US states have established price comparison web sites for prescription drugs, which so far have not experienced major traffic. One of these, in Vermont, was recently condemned as a "waste of time," by the state's Chairman of the Board of Pharmacy (Marketletter July 23). However, if patients begin to adopt a more consumer-oriented approach to searching for health care products and services generally, it seems likely that drug price comparison sites will also grow.