Transforming the health care delivery system is a slow and arduous process. Changing consumer behavior is an important component of that transformation, and while arduous as well, may have more immediate return on investment. The key is to give consumers both the incentives and tools to succeed in maintaining their health.
Author: William S. Custer, PhD, is director of the Center for Health Services Research in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. Previously he was the director of research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining EBRI, Dr. Custer was an economist in the Center for Health Policy Research at the American Medical Association, and served as assistant professor of economics at Northern Illinois University.
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