WOONSOCKET, R.I., July 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The American
health care system is undergoing a period of rapid transformation.
In recent months, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed new challenges
and opportunities to accelerate advances in health care delivery,
solve for systemic health inequities, dramatically improve care
outcomes, and better meet consumer expectations for convenience and
affordability.
With a global pandemic as the backdrop, CVS Health (NYSE:CVS)
fielded the 2020 Path to Better Health Study, where consumers and
providers were asked for their thoughts on the state of health care
and how they are navigating this evolving landscape. While certain
attitudes may have evolved as a result of COVID-19, the study
reveals that consumers need more accessible, personalized and
technology-driven health care than ever before—and are seeking
simplicity in the way they engage in their own health.
The use of technology and data analytics in health care is
reaching new heights, and the pandemic is accelerating the adoption
of digitally based solutions. Consumers are eagerly embracing tech,
especially when it comes to communicating with their providers.
Forty-eight percent said they would be more likely to communicate
with health care professionals if they were able to do so through
digital messaging (up from 41% in 2019), via telehealth (32%,
up from 19% in 2019) and through virtual office visits such as
Skype or FaceTime (29%, up from 20% in 2019). Additionally, 40% of
consumers said they would be very likely to receive care for mental
and behavioral health virtually.
"The pandemic has forced countless Americans to rethink their
approach to health and explore different avenues of care," notes
Larry Merlo, CEO of CVS Health.
"Whether in the community, in the home or in the palm of their
hand, people are discovering new ways to conveniently and
affordably address their health care needs, including mental and
behavioral health. We expect these changes will transform the way
care is delivered moving forward."
The need to manage chronic conditions and mental health concerns
is clearly top of mind for many consumers. A significant number of
people indicated that members of their households are struggling
with high blood pressure (41%), obesity (35%), mental illness (28%)
and diabetes (17%).
Addressing mental health concerns is also of growing importance,
especially among those aged 18–34 and 35–50, where social isolation
is a top concern. For example, 44% of those aged 18–34 and 45% of
those aged 35–50 indicated they no longer have a desire to be
social, while only 29% of those aged 51–64 said the same. This
resembles the 2019 findings, in which 48% of those 18-34 and 45% of
those 35-50 reported they did not have a desire to be social,
versus 35% of people aged 51-64.
The desire for accessibility is pushing people to explore new
avenues of care. While a majority (62%) of consumers still go to
their primary care physician (PCP) to treat a minor illness or
injury, nearly one-third (31%) are likely to visit a non-emergency
walk-in clinic. This is up from 2019, in which 59% of consumers
reported going to their PCP for a minor illness or injury, while
28% said they would visit a non-emergency walk-in clinic. Digital
solutions such as telemedicine are also growing in popularity with
both patients and providers.
Most consumers (92%) said it is very or somewhat important that
health care be convenient—a factor that has only become more
critical as a result of COVID-19.
About one-third (35%) of people said health care costs are an
obstacle to staying healthy, and close to half (49%) have not
visited a doctor when they had a minor illness or injury due to
cost. Despite cost emerging as a top barrier to care, it is not
often a topic of discussion between patients and health care
providers. Two-thirds of patients (66%) said their PCP and other
health care providers had not asked about the "affordability" of
health care and/or discussed resources to assist with these costs,
up slightly from 64% in the 2019 Path to Better Health Study.
Other highlights from the study include:
- Health care providers are increasingly turning to digital
tools and technologies to care for and connect with their
patients. Telemedicine is of particular interest, with 40% of
providers saying it is very valuable for communicating with
patients, up from 22% in the 2019 study. The future outlook for
incorporating predictive analytics or artificial intelligence into
provider practices also looks strong, with more than one-third
(39%) indicating they already have or are very or somewhat likely
to integrate these technologies into their practices within the
next several years.
- Providers are expressing the need for additional support for
important community resources, but access is improving. For
example, many providers said they have fair or poor access to
substance abuse counselors (56%) and mental health counselors
(50%), down from 63% and 55% in our 2019 study, respectively.
- Many providers are experiencing burnout
symptoms. Three-fourths (75%) of all providers said they
feel burned out very frequently, frequently or sometimes.
About one-quarter (27%) said the main cause of burnout is time
spent documenting care/electronic record systems, followed by
administrative/management requirements/paperwork (25%).
Read the full study.
About the study
The Path to Better Health Study by CVS
Health, first released in 2018 and called the Health Ambitions
Study, was conducted in March 2020
and included two surveys fielded by Market Measurement, a national
market research consulting firm. The consumer survey comprised
1,000 participants 18 and older, located throughout the U.S. It
also oversampled 12 metropolitan statistical areas — Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Los
Angeles, New York City,
Philadelphia, Providence, Hartford, San
Francisco, Tampa and among
two ethnic groups: African American and Hispanic people. The survey
of 400 providers focused on primary care physicians and specialists
with at least two years' experience, as well as nurse
practitioners, physician assistants and pharmacists.
About CVS Health
CVS Health employees are united
around a common goal of becoming the most consumer-centric health
company. We're evolving based on changing consumer needs and
meeting people where they are, whether that's in the community at
one of our nearly 10,000 local touchpoints, in the home, or in the
palm of their hand. Our newest offerings – from HealthHUB®
locations that are redefining what a pharmacy can be, to innovative
programs that help manage chronic conditions – are designed to
create a higher-quality, simpler and more affordable experience.
Learn more about how we're transforming health at
www.cvshealth.com.
Contacts:
Kathleen
Biesecker
bieseckerk@aetna.com
703-472-8466
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SOURCE CVS Health