 |
|
New survey: 82 percent of Americans think health care system needs major overhaul
August 07, 2008Americans are dissatisfied with the U.S. health care system and 82 percent think it should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, according to a new survey released today by The Commonwealth Fund. Also today, The Commonwealth Fund Commission on A High Performance Health System released a report outlining what an ideally organized U.S. health care system would look like, and detailing strategies that could create that organized, efficient health care system while simultaneously improving care and cutting costs.
The survey of more than 1,000 adults was conducted by Harris Interactive in May 2008; and the vast majority of those surveyed - nine out of ten -- felt it was important that the two leading presidential candidates propose reform plans that would improve health care quality, ensure that all Americans can afford health care and insurance, and decrease the number of uninsured. One in three adults report their doctors ordered a test that had already been done or recommended unnecessary treatment or care in the past two years. Adults across all income groups reported experiencing inefficient care. And, eight in ten adults across income groups supported efforts to improve the health system's performance with respect to access, quality and cost.
"It is clear that our health care system isn't giving Americans the health care they need and deserve," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "The disorganization and inefficiency are affecting Americans in their everyday lives, and it's obvious that people are looking for reform. With the upcoming election, there is great opportunity for our leaders to hear what the American people are saying they want from a health care system, and to respond with meaningful proposals."
The survey, Public Views on U.S. Health Care System Organization: A Call for New Directions, found that, in addition to respondents' overall dissatisfaction with the health care system, people are frustrated with the way they currently get health care. In fact, 47 percent of patients experienced poorly coordinated medical care in the past two years -- meaning that they were not informed about medical test results or had to call repeatedly to get them, important medical information wasn't shared between doctors and nurses, or communication between primary care doctors and specialists was poor.
Respondents pointed out the need for a more cohesive care system. Nine of 10 surveyed believe that it is very important or important to have one place or doctor responsible for their primary care and for coordinating all of their care. Similarly, there was substantial public support for wider adoption of health information technology, like computerized medical records and sharing information electronically with other doctors as a means of improving patient care. Nine of 10 adults wanted easy access to their own medical records, and thought it was important that all their doctors have such access as well.
Those surveyed also reported problems with access to health care-nearly three out of four (73%) had a difficult time getting timely doctors' appointments, phone advice, or after-hours care without having to go to the emergency room. Although the uninsured were the most likely to report problems getting timely care without going to the emergency room, 26 percent of adults with health insurance also said it was difficult to get same- or next- day appointments when they were sick. And 39 percent of insured adults said it was hard to get through to their doctors on the phone when they needed them.
The Commission report, Organizing The U.S. Health Care Delivery System For High Performance, outlines strategies that could help lead to a better health care system with higher quality and better efficiency:
* Payment Reform: Report authors recommend moving away from traditional fee-for-service payments to a system in which providers and hospitals are paid for high quality, patient-centered, coordinated health care.
* Patient Incentives: Patients should be given incentives to go to the health care professionals and institutions that provide the most efficient, highest quality health care. However, in order for this to work, health care providers and health care systems would need to be evaluated to determine if they are providing high quality, efficient health care and information on performance would need to be publicly available.
* Regulatory Changes: Regulations should remove barriers that prevent physicians from sharing information that is essential to coordinate care and ensure safe and effective transitions for patients.
* Accreditation: Providers and health systems should be accredited based on six attributes of an ideal health care system:
o Patient information is available to all providers and to patients at the point of care;
o Patient care is coordinated among multiple providers and transitions from one provider to another or from a hospital stay are actively managed;
o All health care providers involved in a patient's care have accountability to each other, review each other's work and collaborate to deliver good care;
o Patients can get the care and information they need when and how they need it, including after hours, and providers are culturally competent and responsive to patients' need;
o There is clear accountability for patient care;
o The health care system is continuously working to improve quality, value, and patients' experiences.
* Provider Training: Physicians and health care professionals should be trained to work in the type of team-based environment required for an organized health care system.
* Government Infrastructure Support: As appropriate, the government should support the infrastructure necessary for a well-organized health care system. For example, aiding with the adoption of health information technology or performance improvement activities.
* Health Information Technology: Providers should be required to implement and use electronic health records within five years.
Report authors analyzed health care systems around the country that are successfully employing these strategies and examined how positive gains could be achieved for the entire U.S. health care system. The report concludes that in order for the U.S. health care system to truly be higher-performing, reorganization will be needed at the practice, community, state and national levels.
"There is no one policy, or practice that will make our health care system run like an efficient, well-oiled machine," says Commission on A High Performance Health System Chair and Partners Health System CEO James J. Mongan, M.D. "This is going to take strong national leadership and a commitment from all of the players in our health care system, but with that and the strategies outlined in this report, real progress could be made."
Commonwealth Fund
The survey, Public Views on U.S. Health Care System Organization: A Call for New Directions, found that, in addition to respondents' overall dissatisfaction with the health care system, people are frustrated with the way they currently get health care. In fact, 47 percent of patients experienced poorly coordinated medical care in the past two years -- meaning that they were not informed about medical test results or had to call repeatedly to get them, important medical information wasn't shared between doctors and nurses, or communication between primary care doctors and specialists was poor.
Respondents pointed out the need for a more cohesive care system. Nine of 10 surveyed believe that it is very important or important to have one place or doctor responsible for their primary care and for coordinating all of their care. Similarly, there was substantial public support for wider adoption of health information technology, like computerized medical records and sharing information electronically with other doctors as a means of improving patient care. Nine of 10 adults wanted easy access to their own medical records, and thought it was important that all their doctors have such access as well.
Those surveyed also reported problems with access to health care-nearly three out of four (73%) had a difficult time getting timely doctors' appointments, phone advice, or after-hours care without having to go to the emergency room. Although the uninsured were the most likely to report problems getting timely care without going to the emergency room, 26 percent of adults with health insurance also said it was difficult to get same- or next- day appointments when they were sick. And 39 percent of insured adults said it was hard to get through to their doctors on the phone when they needed them.
The Commission report, Organizing The U.S. Health Care Delivery System For High Performance, outlines strategies that could help lead to a better health care system with higher quality and better efficiency:
* Payment Reform: Report authors recommend moving away from traditional fee-for-service payments to a system in which providers and hospitals are paid for high quality, patient-centered, coordinated health care.
* Patient Incentives: Patients should be given incentives to go to the health care professionals and institutions that provide the most efficient, highest quality health care. However, in order for this to work, health care providers and health care systems would need to be evaluated to determine if they are providing high quality, efficient health care and information on performance would need to be publicly available.
* Regulatory Changes: Regulations should remove barriers that prevent physicians from sharing information that is essential to coordinate care and ensure safe and effective transitions for patients.
* Accreditation: Providers and health systems should be accredited based on six attributes of an ideal health care system:
o Patient information is available to all providers and to patients at the point of care;
o Patient care is coordinated among multiple providers and transitions from one provider to another or from a hospital stay are actively managed;
o All health care providers involved in a patient's care have accountability to each other, review each other's work and collaborate to deliver good care;
o Patients can get the care and information they need when and how they need it, including after hours, and providers are culturally competent and responsive to patients' need;
o There is clear accountability for patient care;
o The health care system is continuously working to improve quality, value, and patients' experiences.
* Provider Training: Physicians and health care professionals should be trained to work in the type of team-based environment required for an organized health care system.
* Government Infrastructure Support: As appropriate, the government should support the infrastructure necessary for a well-organized health care system. For example, aiding with the adoption of health information technology or performance improvement activities.
* Health Information Technology: Providers should be required to implement and use electronic health records within five years.
Report authors analyzed health care systems around the country that are successfully employing these strategies and examined how positive gains could be achieved for the entire U.S. health care system. The report concludes that in order for the U.S. health care system to truly be higher-performing, reorganization will be needed at the practice, community, state and national levels.
"There is no one policy, or practice that will make our health care system run like an efficient, well-oiled machine," says Commission on A High Performance Health System Chair and Partners Health System CEO James J. Mongan, M.D. "This is going to take strong national leadership and a commitment from all of the players in our health care system, but with that and the strategies outlined in this report, real progress could be made."
Commonwealth Fund
Health Care Current Events and Health Care News RSSSubstance abuse adds millions to Medicaid's total health care costs
People with substance abuse disorders cost Medicaid hundreds of millions of dollars annually in medical care, suggesting that early interventions for substance abuse could not only improve outcomes but also save substantial amounts of money, according to a comprehensive study that examined records of nearly 150,000 people in six states.
Family rejection of LGB children linked to poor health in early childhood
For the first time, researchers have established a clear link between family rejection of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adolescents and negative health outcomes in early adulthood.
Study Investigates the Cost Effectiveness of Spinal Surgery
Back pain affects more than 80 percent of people and costs more than $100 billion annually in the U.S. But is the surgery cost effective? A study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center suggests that for patients with spinal stenosis, a laminectomy, or surgical removal of some soft bone and tissue, is a reasonable value.
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center link blood sugar to normal cognitive aging
Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a study published by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). The study appeared in the December issue of Annals of Neurology.
New study examines effects of Graniteville, S.C., chlorine gas disaster
A new study examining the aftereffects of a chlorine gas disaster in a South Carolina town gives larger metropolitan areas important insight into what to expect and how to prepare emergency response systems for an accidental or terrorist release of the potentially deadly gas. The study is now available in the January 2009 issue of the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Study examines impact of managed care on stroke prevention surgery
Policymakers and economists often promote managed-care plans based on the assumption that they prevent the overuse of unnecessary surgical procedures or help steer patients to high-quality providers, compared to traditional fee-for-service insurance plans.
Cell phones using lens-free imaging promise to improve health monitoring
Cell phones have already revolutionized the way people around the world communicate and do business. Thanks to advances being made at UCLA, they are about to do the same thing for medicine.
When it's not just baby weight
Body image is a tricky thing for many women. Like looking into a funhouse mirror, the way they perceive their bodies can make them think they're thinner or more obese than they actually are.
Selflessness - The Core of All Major World Religions - Has Neuropsychological Connection, MU Study Finds
All spiritual experiences are based in the brain. That statement is truer than ever before, according to a University of Missouri neuropsychologist.
Benefits of breastfeeding outweigh risk of infant exposure to environmental chemicals in breastmilk
A study comparing breastfed and formula fed infants across time showed that the known beneficial effects of breastfeeding are greater than the potential risks associated with infant exposure to chemicals such as dioxins that may be present in breastmilk.
More Health Care Current Events and Health Care News Articles
 | Policy and Politics in Nursing and Health Care by Diana J. Mason, Judith K. Leavitt, Mary W. Chaffee Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, 5th Edition enables readers to analyze policy issues, enhance their political knowledge and skills, and prepare for leadership roles in policy-making and public health. This resource cultivates the development of valuable skills including conflict management, lobbying, the use of media, and working with communities for change -- essential... |
 | Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis by Tom Daschle A much-needed and hard-hitting plan, from one of the great Democratic minds of our time, to reform America’s broken health-care system. Undoubtedly, the biggest domestic policy issue in the coming years will be America’s health-care system. Millions of Americans go without medical care because they can’t afford it, and many others are mired in debt because they can’t pay their medical... |
 | Maternity & Women's Health Care (Lowdermilk, Maternity & Women's Health Care) by Deitra Leonard Lowdermilk, Shannon E. Perry Maternity & Women's Health Care, 9th Edition takes a collaborative care approach to maternal, newborn, and women's health nursing that emphasizes the nurse's role on the care team. Easy to read and logically organized, it follows the nursing process and offers evidence-based coverage of everything you need to know about caring for women of childbearing age. Key topics include evidence-based... |
 | Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach by Leiyu Shi In a clear, cohesive format, Delivering Health Care in America provides a comprehensive overview of the basic structures and operations of the US health system from its historical origins and resources, to its individual services, cost, and quality. Using a unique systems approach, it brings together an extraordinary breadth of information into a highly accessible, easy-to-read text that... |
 | Nutrition for Health and Health Care (with InfoTrac 1-Semester Printed Access Card) by Ellie Whitney, Linda Kelly DeBruyne, Kathryn Pinna, Sharon Rady Rolfes NUTRITION FOR HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE, Third Edition is designed for the clinical nutrition and/or diet therapy nutrition course, taught at both two- and four-year colleges and universities, in departments of Nursing, Nutrition, and Dietetics. It covers both the basic "normal" nutrition concepts, including metabolism, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and life cycle, followed by chapters on... |
 | Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration by George D. Pozgar The new edition of this classic text demonstrates once again why professionals and instructors nationwide rely on George Pozgar to make the study of the legal aspects of health care administration meaningful and memorable. Revised and strengthened for its eighth edition, chapters open with cases. It's Your Gavel--You Decide puts the reader in the role of the fact-finder to render decisions on... |
 | Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community by Marcia Stanhope, Jeanette Lancaster The "gold standard" text in community health nursing is now available in an updated, 7th edition! This respected text gives you a solid foundation in community and public health nursing concepts and interventions for individuals, families, and communities. Throughout, health promotion and disease prevention concepts are integrated into the multifaceted role of population-focused,... |
 | Health Care USA: Understanding Its Organization and Delivery by Harry A. Sultz, Kristina M. Young Health Care USA, Sixth Edition is an ideal text for introductory courses on the organization and delivery of U.S. health care for students in schools of public health, medicine, nursing, dentistry, health administration, and other health professions. It provides an introduction to the health care system and an overview of the professional, political, social, and economic forces that have shaped... |
| Essentials of the U.s. Health Care System by Leiyu Shi Written by the authors of the widely used textbook Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach, this engaging new book gives students the most accessible and concise introduction to U.S. health care available. Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System utilizes a unique "systems" approach that clarifies the complexities of health care organization and finance and presents a solid... | |
 | Economics of Health and Health Care (5th Edition) by Sherman Folland, Allen Goodman, Miron Stano This clear, step-by-step best-selling introduction to the economics of health and health care thoroughly develops and explains economic ideas and models to reflect the full spectrum of the most current health economics literature. This book uses core economic themes as basic as supply and demand, as venerable as technology or labor issues, and as modern as the economics of information. Chapter... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |