Forty-two percent of Americans reported experiencing poorly coordinated, inefficient, or unsafe care at some time during the past two years, according to a new survey of 1,023 adults from The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System. Respondents reported that they received unnecessary care or treatment recommended by a physician, received duplicate tests, were victims of medical errors, and/or that their physicians or nurses failed to receive test results or important information about their care. The survey found strong public support for efforts to improve care coordination, and a belief that expanded use of IT and teams could improve the quality of care.
The survey also revealed that 48% of respondents in middle-income families ($35,000 to $49,999 annual income) reported serious problems paying for health care and health insurance. One-third of adults with family incomes between $50,000 and $74,999 a year, and one-fifth with incomes over $75,000, also reported serious medical bill problems. Three-quarters of respondents--both Republicans and Democrats--said the healthcare system needed either fundamental change or complete rebuilding, a view that was shared across income groups and regions of the country. The four top priorities for the president and Congress, according to respondents, are: ensuring that Medicare remains financially sound long term, controlling the rising costs of medical care, ensuring that all Americans have adequate and reliable health insurance, and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. Read the report.
