Patient Advisory Committee Spotlight: Susan Perez

The Building Trust Learning Network has assembled a distinguished group of patient advocates, patients, caregivers and researchers on patient engagement to advise about how best to continue educating and engaging patients, caregivers and the general public about trust in healthcare. Over the coming months, we will be highlighting some of our members describing their experiences with trust in healthcare.

Susan Perez’s research focuses on understanding consumers’ decision-making processes in order to develop healthcare policies, information, and resources to promote high value decisions. Dr. Perez has conducted studies that classified approaches to processing Internet health information among vulnerable populations; addressed statewide overuse of healthcare services; identified approaches for patients and providers to discuss the cost of care; developed a statewide campaign to address variation in C-section rates by working with both patients and hospitals; and illuminated consumers’ views of cost sharing, quality and network choice. Prior to joining the faculty at the California State University, Sacramento Department of Public Health, Dr. Perez completed a postdoctoral fellowship in quality, safety, and comparative effectiveness research and earned a doctorate in Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership program at the University of California, Davis.