This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows:

To estimate the effects of public release of performance data on consumers of health care, providers of health care and purchasers of health care. We distinguish three target groups: consumers of healthcare (patients), providers of healthcare (health professionals), purchasers of health care.

For each target group, we will consider the following comparisons.

• public release of performance data compared to control

• different types of public release of performance data compared to each other