Price transparency and patient engagement: social messaging matters

To examine the effects of price transparency and prosocial messaging on price-protected consumers' health care choices as a potential cost-saving strategy to manage rising US health care expenditures.

Cross-sectional study. Participants were recruited to complete a basic questionnaire via Amazon's Mechanical Turk program. Participants' selections were subsequently collected and analyzed.

Participants (N = 567) selected a sleep study provider from 5 options, with manipulations including financial responsibility, provision of price information, and a prosocial message encouraging high-value options.

Price transparency increased the selection of lower-cost options among participants who were solely responsible for paying for their own health care expenses. For participants whose insurance paid for health care expenses, both price transparency and prosocial messaging were necessary to choose lower-cost options.

The study highlights the importance of considering both financial and social factors in patient engagement initiatives, suggesting that a combination of price transparency and prosocial messaging can influence health care choices and potentially contribute to cost-saving strategies in the US health care system.