Find Out What Seniors Think About Providers

Majority of Seniors Rely on Family or Have No One to Coordinate Health Care Providers, New Survey Finds

 According to a recently released national survey conducted by Harris Poll, 85 percent of seniors surveyed noted they have been diagnosed with a serious health condition, and 64 percent have seen three or more health care providers over the past year for their care. However, 34 percent reported a family member coordinates their medical care among all of the health care providers they see, and 35 percent say no one does. This  highlights a significant gap in care due to the multitude and complexity of chronic conditions affecting aging seniors.

2 in 3 Seniors Had No Help

More than 1,000 seniors were surveyed and it found that while a majority (61 percent) are asked during all or most appointments if they understand their treatment plans, less than half (43 percent) are asked about the treatments and medications they have been prescribed by other doctors. And in the critical first few months following a hospital stay, nearly 2 in 3 seniors who have ever been hospitalized (63 percent) report that no one helped coordinate their care.

Seniors Need Help Coordinating Care

Coordinating care across multiple providers who treat a single patient is a key strategy for ensuring positive clinical outcomes, while also reducing costs. As the health care system continues to evolve toward coordinated care models, there is also an increasing effort to offer seniors programs to help address needs beyond medical care – and the survey shows seniors are interested.

Transportation Is Important

The survey found that 36 percent of seniors say they want more opportunities to engage with people in their community. Almost one in three seniors (32 percent) say it is just as important for care providers to offer transportation to medical appointments as it is to monitor blood pressure. Other key survey findings include:

  • Almost all seniors (95 percent) are satisfied with the quality of care they receive from their health care provider.
  • A slight majority of seniors (56 percent) want their health care provider to offer specific programs to help manage their health (from a list that was provided). Those who report their health being fair or poor are 34 percent more likely to want these programs than seniors in good or excellent health (71 percent vs. 47 percent).
  • Common serious health conditions that seniors report being diagnosed with are high blood pressure/hypertension (58 percent), high cholesterol (46 percent) or type 2 diabetes (25 percent), among others.