CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

Background: The burgeoning topic of information for consumers on the q uality of health care raises several questions: What kinds of informat ion about qualify of care do Americans want and use? How do consumers use information about qualify to choose a health plan, hospital, or ph ysician for themselves and their families? To whom do consumers turn f or this information? How would we know if we have provided Americans t he ''right'' information? To answer these questions, the Henry J. Kais er Family Foundation and the Agency for Health Care Policy and Researc h of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services convened a natio nal conference, ''Value and Choice: Providing Consumers with Informati on on the Quality of Health Care'', in Arlington, Virginia, October 29 -30, 1996.