�Americans are dissatisfied with the U.S. health care system and 82 percentage think it should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, according to a new follow 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 organised U.S. health care system would look like, and detailing strategies that could create that organized, efficient health care system spell simultaneously improving care and cutting costs.
The review of more than 1,000 adults was conducted by Harris Interactive in May 2008; and the vast majority of those surveyed - nine taboo of tenner -- felt it was important that the two leading presidential candidates project reform plans that would improve health care quality, ensure that all Americans can afford health care and insurance policy, and decrease the number of uninsured. One in three adults report their doctors arranged a test that had already been done or recommended unneeded treatment or care in the past times two long time. 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 guardianship they demand and deserve," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "The disorganisation and inefficiency are poignant Americans in their everyday lives, and it's obvious that citizenry are looking for reform. With the upcoming election, there is great chance 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 appraise, Public Views on U.S. Health Care System Organization: A Call for New Directions, launch that, in addition to respondents' overall dissatisfaction with the health care system, people ar frustrated with the way they currently get wellness care. In fact, 47 percent of patients experient poorly co-ordinated medical guardianship 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 want for a more cohesive care system. Nine of 10 surveyed believe that it is very important or authoritative to have one lieu or dr. responsible for their primary care and for coordinative all of their upkeep. Similarly, there was significant public supporting for wider adoption of health information technology, like computerized medical records and sharing data 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 too reported problems with admission to wellness care-nearly trey out of four (73%) had a difficult prison term getting timely doctors' appointments, phone advice, or after-hours care without having to go to the emergency room. Although the uninsured were the most potential to report problems getting timely care without going to the emergency room, 26 per centum of adults with health insurance besides said it was difficult to receive same- or next- day appointments when they were sick. And 39 percentage of insured person adults said it was hard to get through and through to their doctors on the telephone when they needed them.
The Commission report, Organizing The U.S. Health Care Delivery System For High Performance, outlines strategies that could facilitate lead to a better health tending system with higher quality and better efficiency:
-- Payment Reform: Report authors recommend moving aside from traditional fee-for-service payments to a system in which providers and hospitals are nonrecreational for high quality, patient-centered, coordinated health care.
-- Patient Incentives: Patients should be given incentives to go to the health fear professionals and institutions that provide the most efficient, highest tone health care. However, in order for this to work, wellness care providers and wellness care systems would need to be evaluated to determine if they are providing high quality, efficient health care and information on operation would indigence to be publicly available.
-- Regulatory Changes: Regulations should remove barriers that foreclose physicians from sharing data that is essential to coordinate care and insure safe and effective transitions for patients.
-- Accreditation: Providers and health systems should be licensed based on six attributes of an ideal health care system:
- Patient data is uncommitted to all providers and to patients at the point of care;
- Patient care is coordinated among multiple providers and transitions from nonpareil provider to another or from a hospital stay put are actively managed;
- All health forethought providers involved in a patient's maintenance have answerableness to each other, review each other's work and collaborate to deliver good care;
- Patients can cause the care and entropy they need when and how they need it, including afterward hours, and providers are culturally competent and responsive to patients' need;
- There is clear accountability for patient upkeep;
- 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 surroundings required for an organised health maintenance system.
-- Government Infrastructure Support: As set aside, the government should accompaniment the infrastructure necessary for a well-organized health maintenance system. For example, aiding with the adoption of health entropy technology or performance betterment activities.
-- Health Information Technology: Providers should be required to carry out and usance electronic wellness records within five days.
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 reputation concludes that in parliamentary procedure for the U.S. wellness care system to truly be higher-performing, reorganization will be requisite at the practice, community, state and national levels.
"There is no one policy, or practice that will make our wellness care system run like an efficient, well-oiled car," says Commission on A High Performance Health System Chair and Partners Health System CEO James J. Mongan, M.D. "This is going to take potent national leadership and a commitment from all of the players in our health forethought system, simply with that and the strategies defined in this report, real progress could be made."
Survey and Report Methodology
The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive, Inc., by telephone with a representative sample of 1,004 adults ages 18 and elderly, living in households with telephone in the continental United States. Interviews took place between May 23 and May 27, 2008. . Samples of this size have an overall security deposit of sample distribution error of +/- 3 percent. The survey questions were region of on-going surveys of the public by Harris Interactive.
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation supporting independent research on health insurance policy reform and a
