The Implication Of Choices

I have heard this theory many times, but I was glad to run across an article on it.  The basic point is that too many choices have negative implications on people.  In this article from Health Day News, it discusses a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology about the effect of multiple choices.

“If people have a day or period of time in which they are making many choices, they will be vulnerable to low self-control,” said study lead author Kathleen Vohs, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota. This could lead “to overeating, overdrinking, overspending, losing one’s temper, and procrastination.”

This has a significant implication within healthcare.  How do you empower a patient in a consumer driven world and make information transparent without overwhelming them with options and data?  How do you communicate to a patient about their options without giving them every possible scenario? 

We generally want a simple solution and to be guided to a good decision without being manipulated.  How do we accomplish that?  It reminds me of a JD Power study on the auto insurance industry that I often quote that showed that the most satisfied consumers were not those whose rates went down, but those who rates went up BUT were proactively informed and offered options.