A recent study found almost four in 10 older adults find it difficult to manage their healthcare needs. Researchers analyzed the results of the 2012 National Health and Aging Trends Study, a national survey of 2,040 Medicare patients age 65 or older.
Here are five points:
1. Many of the participants stated they will often delay or not attend medical appointments or tests because they deemed healthcare too much of a burden.
2. Researchers found a high level of "treatment burden," and also discovered many older adults in the study preferred to be active in their healthcare decisions in conjunction with their physicians. Eighty-five percent of participants stated they wanted to make their healthcare decisions with their physicians and 96 percent stated they wanted to make such decisions with their friends and family.
3. Often, older adults' healthcare is not well coordinated among their several physicians. Head researcher, Jennifer Wolff, PhD, stated, "High quality care is not only about a single disease or visit, but rather the overall treatment plan across multiple providers. If we look at each visit in a vacuum, the health of these older adults could really suffer."
4. Physicians are not usually trained or often Medicare does not reimburse for taking extra time to work with patients and their families to make sure patients are getting what they need.
5. Researchers also found the healthcare system is not very accepting of the involvement of family and friends in medical decision-making due to privacy and practical concerns.
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