Patients dumping doctors in record numbers
Poor communication cited
Half of America’s 100 million households changed, added, or selected a physician in the past two years, according to a recent study by VHA Inc., an Orlando, FL-headquartered network of community-owned hospitals.
Contrary to popular assumptions, health plans are not the top reason for this record change, the study concludes. The main reason for physician-hopping cited by patients was dissatisfaction with the quality of care and doctor-patient communications they had with their present provider.
According to VHA’s findings, 52% of health care consumers say poor communication was the primary reason for being dissatisfied with their present physician.
In contrast, slightly more than one-quarter of consumers said quality of care was the most important factor in determining how satisfied they were with their doctor.
"In the information age, there shouldn’t be barriers to quality communication," says Kelly W. Breazeale, VHA senior vice president. "We learned from the study that patients want access to credible, current information, and they want to be able to communicate easily with their doctor about treatment options."
Connecting with patients
According to the research, a startling 71% of health care consumers say they were given no health information during their last physician visit. Yet 85% of those who did found it extremely helpful. The study also found that of all the ways to obtain health information, getting information from their physician is most consumers’ first choice.
"The roles played by quality communication and shared information in improving health cannot be underestimated," says Roxy Marrese, MD, of Daytona, FL. "My ability to help my patients, and their satisfaction with me, is directly determined by how well we connect with each other."
In another study, if only 5% of the patient base of the average internal medicine practice decides to switch to another physician over the course of the year, this turnover costs the practice $23,000, annually. The study, by Bayer, the pharmaceutical company, found a $18,000 in net revenue loss plus $5,000 in services related to terminating and replacing the lost patients.
And a poll conducted by an Internet enterprise found that over one-third of consumers say they would be "more likely" to choose a doctor who offered electronic communication options than one who does not.
"These results lead us to believe providing an e-mail option for patients to communicate with you may be one of the biggest changes for physicians when it comes to attracting and keeping patients in the future," says Peter J. Plantes, MD, medical director of LaurusHealth.com, a health care Web site that conducted the poll.
The poll found also that only 3% of patients currently e-mail their physicians — some 35% don’t even know if their physician offers e-mail communication.
However, of those who exchange e-mail with their physicians, 90% find it valuable and convenient, and 3% say it is necessary in maintaining a strong patient/doctor relationship.
"Consumers in this survey make it clear how important it is to them to be able to communicate electronically with their doctors," observes Plantes. "This survey should challenge physicians to consider adding new technologies such as e-mail to strengthen relationships with their patients."
Among the top e-mail and Internet options, the survey found patients want:
• electronic access to appointment scheduling (49%);
• ability to e-mail their doctor (46%);
• access to their test results (37%);
• electronic access to their patient records (28%).
"It is fair to say that today, e-mail communication is increasingly viewed by patients as an added convenience," notes Plantes. "Offering the convenience of on-line services that consumers are looking for could be a great way for physicians to build and maintain patient loyalty. This strategy has been used successfully in financial and other service industries."
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