Better Patient Info Needed
Contrary to popular assumptions, health plans are not the top reason consumers change, add or select a physician. Quality of physician communication and care is the reason. Half of America's 100 million households changed physicians in the past two years, according to VHA Inc., a national network of 1,850 community-owned healthcare organizations.
Satisfaction with a physician is driven by communication according to 52 percent of those surveyed. By contrast, slightly more than one-quarter of consumer say that quality of care determines satisfaction.
These information needs are not being met. Seventy-one percent of consumers say their doctors neglected to give them key health information like printed materials and follow-up resources during their last visit. Yet 85 percent of those who did get this information found it extremely helpful.
To provide better patient-focused health information, VHA began last month to use a new health information resource called Laurus. Laurus allows VHA to share information among its member healthcare organizations on a wide variety of health conditions and illnesses.
(VHA, Kelli Amick, 972/830-2901)
Americans Still Battling Weight
Americans are doing a better job of exercising but the battle of the bulge is far from won. Nearly half of Americans (48 percent) now claim to exercise regularly but 54 percent remain overweight, according to a national survey by TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a nonprofit weight loss organization based in Milwaukee, Wis.
The importance of regular activity needs greater emphasis in public health campaigns aimed at overweight people, especially men, who are least likely to exercise, according to the study.
The good news is:
- 44 percent of those over age 65 exercise on a regular basis.
- The most active group of adults is between the ages of 35 and 44.
- Americans' prefer moderate exercise routines like walking and yoga.
This survey by Opinion Research Corp. was based on random sample of 1,000 adults nationwide.
(TOPS, Stacey Weiss, 414/270-7612)
Babyboomers Research Care Options To Avoid Death
Aging babyboomers are starting to come to grips with the increased odds that they will confront one or more of the 10 most common causes of death, according to Healthcare Reports Cards, Inc. (HCRI) a Lakewood, Colo. healthcare research. They are looking for the optimal places to seek medical care among the nation's 5,000 hospitals in critical medical specialties like cardiac care, stroke and prostate cancer.
HCRI's Web site provides a consumer online medical rating service at www.healthcarereportcards.com.
It recently identified the odds and occurrences-per-year of Americans who would have at least one medical diagnosis based on the top 10 most common causes of death cited by the National Center for Health Statistics. For all age groups, the 10 most common causes of death are heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, accidents, pneumonia/influenza, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, suicide and chronic liver disease/cirrhosis.
(HRCI, John Head, 303/534-5409)
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