Poll Finds Momentum for Radical Healthcare Reform

August 23, 2002

Fri Aug 23, 5:49 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - With many different groups expressing

dissatisfaction with the US healthcare system, sentiment for " radical

reform " is growing, a new poll suggests.

In the past, the public has been more dissatisfied with the healthcare

system than have physicians, employers and health administrators, according

to nationwide surveys by Interactive ( news - external web site). But

now a new poll finds significant narrowing in the differences among

those groups' points of view.

Doctors soured on healthcare beginning in 1999 and have remained less

satisfied than they have been in the past. believes doctors' negative

views reflect lingering anger about managed care.

With health plans loosening restrictions on doctors, physician attitudes

have perked up a bit in the past two years, the poll found. Still, doctors'

sentiments are more negative now than at any time between 1984 and 1997,

noted.

Health plan managers also have grown notably more dour than they were three

years ago, the poll found. And while employers are more satisfied than the

public, they expressed more hostility this year than in any previous survey,

said.

Public support for a major overhaul of the healthcare system remains strong.

While 17% think the system works pretty well, almost twice as many (31%)

think it needs to be rebuilt.

calculated a " radical change " score for each group based on its

" overall view " of the country's healthcare system. Respondents were asked to

indicate whether they believe that the nation's healthcare system works

pretty well and requires only minor changes, that it has " good things " about

it but needs fundamental change; or that so much is wrong that it needs to

be completely rebuilt.

The public's radical change was highest, at 56, followed by hospital

managers (51), employers (48) and health plans (50). Physicians scored

lowest, at 46.

The poll was conducted between April and June with separate samples of 1,013

adults, 406 physicians, 301 employers, 101 health plan managers and 301

hospital managers. Data for previous years were derived from similar

surveys.

Recommended Posts