Doctors Say Web Not Healthy For Healing Business
Physicians and health care executives are against patients searching for treatment info online, says a recent Find/SVP study, mainly because it threatens to compete with patients using the Web in place of routine office visits.
According to the study, more than half of the 'general Internet population' use the Net to seek out health and medical data or to take part in related discussions. Doctors admitted growing concern that technology will change their relationships with patients. Concerns facing those in the medical profession are similar to that of the general public, that security of electronic records could be an issue. While a number of online healthcare offers is emerging, health care pros say they will wait until government or competitive pressures force them to use interactive technologies. (Find/SVP, Stuart Gibbel, 212/807-2603)
USCF Issues Call to Improve Domestic Violence Response
Does your hospital have a progressive domestic violence response program? Researchers at the University of California-San Francisco are taking the lead on evaluating healthcare provider response to this sensitive issue and are looking for emergency department, primary care and OB/Gyn physicians to participate in the study.
The study will focus solely on survivors of domestic violence who have had positive experiences with physicians. The study is being funded by a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Domestic violence is a leading cause of injury among women in the U.S., according to Barbara Gerbert, Ph.D, a behavioral sciences department chair at UCSF who is heading up the study. Her study cites these annual stats on domestic violence:
- 21,000 hospitalizations;
- 99,800 inpatient days;
- 28,700 emergency room visits; and
- 39,900 doctor visits. (UCSF 415/476-2557)
Women Lag Behind Men In Having Life Insurance
Women are far more underinsured than men when it comes to life insurance, primarily due to a lack of financial education among women, according to The Guardian Life Insurance Company in New York.
Married working women, homemakers and single mothers are the highest at-risk group, says Alexandria P. West, co-general agent Rafei & Associates, Guardian's Vienna, Va. agency.
Guardian highlighted the latest figures from LIMRA International, a Hartford, Conn.-based research firm, which found that:
- males accounted for 63% of new life policies compared to 37% for females; and
- the average size policy for males was $306,900 versus $165,000 for females.
California HMO Rates Are Edging Up
After several years of declining premiums, California employers will have to dig deeper into their pockets for health plan coverage, according to a new survey released by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a consulting firm based in San Francisco. Large California employers like CalPERS and Pacific Business Group on Health have experienced HMO premium increases of 1.5% to 2.5% and the trend is likely to continue in the 1998 renewal cycle, according to Keith Grassel, a healthcare consultant with Watson Wyatt.
This signals a prime opportunity for direct contracting by providers - eliminating the need for HMOs and insurers.
The study found that the price tag for HMOs are inching up because:
- Network hospitals, physicians and other providers are unable or unwilling to negotiate lower reimbursement levels.
- There is more pressure form the investment community for HMOs to return high profit levels.
- As the population ages, and babyboomers reach age 50, these groups require more healthcare. (Watson Wyatt, Cathy Terrigno, 415/955-0691)