Commentary

Unhealthily Obsessed With Gadgets?

DoctorTools-A

It seems U.S. adults are more interested in researching and searching for the latest electronic gadget or gift for themselves or a friend than they do selecting their primary care physician. In fact, 42% of the 2,020 adults age 18 or older participating in this Patient Choice study released Thursday by Insider Pages admit to spending more time researching the latest electronic gadgets than their primary care doctor.

The study conducted by Harris Interactive reveals half of adults under age 55 spend more time researching the latest gadget than their doctor. Forty nine percent say they spent more time researching a gift for a family member or friend than researching their primary care doctor, and 59% agree they rarely research a specialist who they were referred to by their primary care doctor. Men, 64%, are more likely than women, 55%, to agree.

Consumers have become accustomed to researching consumer products online. When the information is available they soak, pore and wade in it before making a decision.

So what's the problem? The study conducted between Nov. 10 and 21 points to the inability of the health industry to give patients easy access to information through search services and online references. They fail to make it easy for the general public to find what they need. Digging through mounts of unstructured data is complicated. Similar to reading some privacy statements, most patients will simply raise their hands and give up. What if patients had access to ratings and reviews and malpractice records, lawsuits or expertise were easily accessible online?

The online ratings and reviews category has seen explosive growth across a number of categories such as consumer electronics, but healthcare continues to lag. Patients would benefit from reading doctor ratings or reviews, but realistically could the health industry stomach the critique? How would patients seeking help know the information is reputable and accurate? Should we just settle for search and discoveries about doctors from health insurance Web sites? Many patients do.

When it comes down to it, patients want more transparency. The findings from the study reveal the majority of consumers with a primary care physician are not satisfied with the amount of information they can find online about doctors. They feel like they are making choices and decisions about providers with incomplete information.

In fact, 67% of adults wish they could find more comprehensive information about doctors online. Still, 73% under age 35 admit they want to find more comprehensive information about doctors online, but 51% say it's difficult.

Seventy one percent wish doctors would share information about their medical background and expertise online. In absence of searchable information, consumers are selecting doctors in their health plan based primarily on location. Forty seven percent of adults with a PCP agree they chose their doctor primarily on location and not information about the physician's expertise, malpractice record or online reviews. Aside from insurance accepted by the doctor and location of the doctor's office, recommendations from family and friends were the next most important deciding factor in choosing a doctor.

The majority of U.S. adults with a primary care doctor stated they would recommend their doctor to friends or family. For one quarter of adults with a PCP, word of mouth is the most important factor aside from their insurance plan when deciding if a primary care provider was right for them. An interesting stat emerges from the study focused on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

Many worry the recently enacted PPACA would require them to change doctors. Forty two percent of adults are worried they will need to change their doctor as a result of the new healthcare reform bill. Adults with a PCP who affiliate themselves with the GOP were significantly more likely, 61%, than their Democrat, 25%, or Independent, 45%, counterparts to agree they worried about being required to change their doctor.s

2 comments about "Unhealthily Obsessed With Gadgets?".
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  1. Brooks Perry from RPA, January 13, 2011 at 6:38 p.m.

    Interesting article--a struggle I can relate to well--but your title is misleading. The title is about a public obsession with gadgets, but your article is about the inability to find health care info and resources online.

  2. Chalres Lan from Healthcare Reviews, January 14, 2011 at 8:47 a.m.

    re: The majority of U.S. adults with a primary care doctor stated they would recommend their doctor to friends or family.

    If doctors referred their patients to an online doctor rating site like HealthcareReviews.com they wouldn't need to complain about skewed ratings from a couple cranky patients because most of thier patients like the job they do. At this site doctors can even reply to or censor patient comments, no excuses for not adopting these online tools, time to join us in the 21st century.

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