New Survey: 72 Percent Of Americans Think Health Care System Needs Major Overhaul; Nearly All Want More Coordinated Care, Doctors Using Health IT

New Survey: 72 Percent Of Americans Think Health Care System Needs Major Overhaul; Nearly All Want More Coordinated Care, Doctors Using Health IT

From an April 5 2011 Health Day news article

Seven of 10 adults think the U.S. health care system needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, according to a Commonwealth Fund survey released today. The concerns reflect widespread experiences with access barriers, poorly coordinated care and growing costs. The survey also reveals strong support for more patient-centered care systems and innovative use of teams and information systems.

The new survey found that a large majority of U.S. adults have concerns about access, with 71 percent reporting problems gaining access to needed health care. These concerns included the inability to get timely doctors’ appointments or advice from their doctor on the phone, or to obtain after-hours care without going to the emergency room. Nearly half experienced poorly coordinated care (47%), and more than half reported wasteful (54%) care. In addition, one in five reported they or a family member ended up with an infection or complication as a result of medical care, or said that a health care provider made a surgical or medical mistake. When asked about the future, three quarters of people surveyed (74 %) are worried they won’t get high quality care when they need it, or that they won’t be able to afford their medical bills if they become seriously ill……

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