Dissatisfaction with the U.S. health care system is running high—really high. According to recent survey findings released by The Commonwealth Fund, 82 percent of Americans think it should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt.
Moreover, the vast majority of survey respondents—nine of 10—feel it is important that the presidential candidates have reform plans that would improve health care quality, ensure that all Americans can afford health care and insurance, and decrease the number of uninsured, as reported in the Fund issue brief Public Views on U.S. Health Care System Organization: A Call for New Directions.
The survey also found that people are frustrated with the way they currently get health care: 47 percent of respondents said they experienced poorly coordinated medical care in the past two years, meaning that they were not informed about test results or had to call repeatedly to get them, important medical information wasn't shared between doctors and nurses, or communication between primary care doctors and specialists was poor. Nine of 10 believe that it is important to have one place or doctor responsible for their primary care and for coordinating all of their care. There was also substantial support for wider adoption of health information technology, like computerized medical records, to improve patient care.
"It's clear that our health care system isn't giving Americans the health care they need and deserve," says Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "The disorganization and inefficiency are affecting Americans in their everyday lives, and it's obvious that people are looking for reform."
