At the annual Society of Healthcare Strategy and Market Development conference, keynote speaker, Barry Schwartz talked about the paradox of choice. His essential premise is that people like to have freedom of choice but faced with too much choice, they either choose poorly or don’t make a decision at all.
Speaking to hospital administrators, Professor Schwartz made the case that even though it is the American way to have more choice, we struggle with choice. In health care specifically, too much choice may not be good for the patient. He provided solid data and relevant studies to support his premise. Human beings are not good decision-makers when given too many options – there is a decreasing marginal utility to increasing options! Who knew?!
Professor Schwartz appropriately asked the audience to consider the choice paradox in the framework of the national debate about health care reform (health insurance reform). Can we also apply Professor Schwartz’ “more is less” analysis to our service offerings and how we navigate through our day?
As a health care provider caring for patients, can we create the architecture to help them make good choices but limit the confusion of those choices by reducing the array of options? Professor Schwartz uses the issue of organ donation to drive his point home. In the United States, 98% of the population is in favor of organ donation. Yet, only 26% of the populace checks the box on their driver’s license to actually become an organ donor. Professor Schwartz surmises that humans are generally inert and our natural inclination is to do nothing. So, Professor Schwartz suggests we create defaults that move an individual toward the better choice. To extend the organ donation example. If we know that most Americans favor organ donation, why don’t those driver’s license forms reverse the question. You are an organ donor unless you opt out? Individuals still have choice but the architecture for making the choice points them in the more likely and desirable direction.
Can you apply this concept to some of your service options? Or outreach endeavors?
Tags: health care marketing
