How Americans Find Doctors and How to Drive Behavior Change

Ask most people how to find a good doctor and they will tell you to get a referral. The data says that is no longer how it works. Only a quarter of Americans find a new doctor through another doctor. Most of the rest search online, and the reviews they rely on have no measurable connection to the quality of care they end up receiving.

In this session, Kirk Czonstka, Garner's SVP of Strategic Alliances, and Nick Reber, Garner's founder and CEO, draw on claims data, member surveys, and academic research to show how people actually choose care today and why that matters for plan sponsors. You'll hear why most doctor relationships start fresh each year, why a five-star rating says almost nothing about a surgeon's complication rate, and what members say they really want when they pick a provider. Nick then shares Garner's data on financial incentives, including how engagement climbs with the size of the reward and why the stick tends to matter a little more than the carrot.

The two take audience questions on Centers of Excellence, directory accuracy, and reaching employees who don't speak English. Watch this one to understand where your members are already looking for care, and what it would take to meet them there with better information.