INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH & OPINION

Physicians, nurses and patients frustrated with managed care

Two recent US surveys reveal widespread dissatisfaction with managed care.

In a survey of 1053 physicians and 768 nurses conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, US, 87% of physicians reported that their patients had experienced some form of denial of coverage over the last 2 years. The most commonly denied healthcare goods/services were pharmaceuticals (reported by 79% of physicians), diagnostic tests (69%), hospitalisation (60%), and referral to a specialist (52%).

Importantly, 33~6% of physicians and around 50% of nurses said that a health-plan decision had resulted in a decline in a patient's health over the 2-year period. 66% of physicians said they sometimes or often make contact with a health plan on behalf of patients.

Meanwhile, an annual survey of 523 health plans conducted by the US National Committee on Quality Assurance revealed that 27% of consumers have difficulty receiving the care they need, including trouble seeing a physician they like and getting referrals to specialists. Surveys show frustration with HMOs. Media Release: [3 pages], 29 lui 1999 """62921

1173.5503199/0224-00091$01 .00° Adl.lnte,netionel Limited 1999. All right. , ... rved PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 7 Aug 1999 No. 224

9