Nov 20
2019
Survey Shows Consumers and Healthcare Professionals Worried About Fragmented and Costly Healthcare
Wolters Kluwer, Health released new data from a survey of nearly 2,000 consumers, hospital executives, doctors and nurses in the U.S. on attitudes surrounding breakdowns in care, how costs shape care decisions and the influence of a broad lack of transparency within the healthcare system. Findings from the report, “Mending Healthcare in America 2020: Consumers & Cost,” showed alignment and deep divisions in how patients and providers view healthcare.
“Leading up to the 2020 presidential election, there has been a shift in attitudes surrounding out of control healthcare costs and a complicated and opaque healthcare system that erodes the trust of consumers and providers. Our national survey echoes this dissatisfaction, but also illuminates that those on the front lines of delivering care are taking diverging, and sometimes conflicting, paths to mitigate their concerns and prioritize actions,” said Diana Nole, CEO of Wolters Kluwer, Health.
“Mending Healthcare in America 2020” examines where each stakeholder observes breakdowns, inconsistencies and a lack of transparency throughout the system and, subsequently, how they make care choices around those perceptions.
Key survey findings include:
Differences in cost of care? Consumers and providers know it’s a problem. 98% of survey respondents across the board agree that healthcare is inconsistent and costs and care vary by location, health system and even within departments at the same hospital.
- Two-thirds of consumers don’t believe they would be charged the same for a treatment or condition regardless of where they received care
- 79% of physicians and nurses acknowledge that cost to the patient influences what treatments they recommend.
- 87% of all respondents agree there is a lack of transparency in the pricing of healthcare services, including those who are prescribing care or medications
While hospital executives, nurses and physicians are most optimistic that tackling challenges in healthcare variability will lead to better patient outcomes, they are skeptical that it will lead to increased transparency in prices.
Consumers will head to the polls with healthcare in mind. The majority of all four respondent groups say healthcare policy will be a main factor when they cast their presidential votes. Similar majorities say they will vote with their wallet, favoring the candidate who has a plan to respond to rising healthcare costs to them.