Robert Pearl, MD, former CEO of Oakland, Calif.-based Permanente Medical Group, cites various online polls and surveys to paint a more vivid picture of how the U.S. healthcare delivery system is regarded and some of the major trends that surfaced in 2017 and have stayed relevant during the first half of 2018.
In a two-part op-ed series for Forbes, Dr. Pearl examines various polls and surveys issued since November 2017 to determine how healthcare experts — including physicians, medical students, researchers, policy experts and patients — view the system as a whole.
Here are four insights into the U.S. healthcare system, according to Dr. Pearl:
1. According to a February 2018 Gallup poll, 75 percent of patients reported feeling satisfied with the care they have personally received. However, Dr. Pearl notes roughly the same percentage of patients that participated in the poll (73 percent) regard the healthcare delivery system as being in trouble.
2. In his own newsletter survey, Dr. Pearl found participants awarded the nation's healthcare system an average grade of a "C-," based on a scoring rubric that included items such as cost, quality, access and technology. In order for the system to receive an "A" rating, participants noted several improvements, which included:
- Increased affordability of medical care and insurance needs
- More convenient care through the use of technology
- Increased coordination among multiple physicians when tending to the same patient
3. In a self-conducted Twitter survey, Dr. Pearl noted some of the biggest healthcare stories trending in 2017 have remained relevant in 2018. Twitter users pointed to the opioid epidemic as one of the largest healthcare stories, followed by the Senate's attempt to repeal and replace the ACA, and increased mergers and acquisitions activity.
4. In a January Twitter survey, Dr. Pearl focused on the opioid crisis, specifically asking respondents who should be held responsible. While roughly 60 percent of respondents identified drug manufacturers as the culprits, 28 percent of those surveyed said opioid users were most responsible for the crisis, Dr. Pearl noted.
To access Dr. Pearl's full op-ed, click here.