Survey Shows Large Majority of Americans Think Healthcare System in Need of Major Changes

August 01, 2008

A survey just released by the Commonwealth Fund explored public perceptions of the nation’s healthcare system.  Of those adults surveyed, 82% thought that the U.S. healthcare system required either fundamental changes or a complete rebuilding.

Other topics explored include:

• Access to care:  73% of adults reported having difficulty making timely appointments without having to visit the emergency room.
• Coordination of care:  21% of adults reported that their doctors failed to provide important information about their medical history or test results to other doctors or nurses who should have it.
• Efficiency of care:  32% of adults reported that their doctors had ordered duplicate tests or recommended treatment that they felt was unnecessary or had little benefit.
• Administrative hassles:  28% of adults reported that the amount of time they spent handling paperwork in the past two years was a serious problem, as was the time devoted to disputes related to billing.
• Patient rights:  95% of those surveyed wanted information about quality of care provided by different doctors and hospitals and 88% said it was important to know about the costs of care for which they would be responsible before receiving care.
• Information technology:  86% of adults supported their doctors’ use of computerized records; 89% believed doctors should be able to exchange information with other doctors electronically; and 71% endorsed the use of electronic prescribing.

To read the entire report, titled “Public Views on U.S. Health System Organization:  A Call for New Directions,” please click here.