Nearly 70 Percent of Seniors Rely on Family or Have No One To Coordinate Care Across Multiple Providers, New Survey Finds

National Survey Findings Underscore the Critical Need For Coordinated
Care Programs for Aging Seniors

CERRITOS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#coordinatedcare–According to a national survey conducted by Harris Poll released today,
85 percent of seniors surveyed noted they have been diagnosed with a
serious health condition,¹ and 64 percent have seen three or
more health care providers over the past year for their care. However,
34 percent reported a family member coordinates their medical care among
all of the health care providers they see, and 35 percent say no one
does, highlighting a significant gap in care due to the multitude and
complexity of chronic conditions affecting aging seniors.

Furthermore, the survey of more than 1,000 seniors found that while a
majority (61 percent) are asked during all or most appointments if they
understand their treatment plans, less than half (43 percent) are asked
about the treatments and medications they have been prescribed by other
doctors. And in the critical first few months following a hospital stay,
nearly 2 in 3 seniors who have ever been hospitalized (63 percent)
report that no one helped coordinate their care.

“Navigating the health care system is inherently challenging and is even
more perplexing for seniors, as many suffer from chronic diseases like
heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, and are at high risk for
complications,” said Dr. Sachin H. Jain, president of CareMore. “It’s
important that we engage patients by providing access to a comprehensive
health care team and services, to enable access to optimal care and
coordination. Successful care delivery models of the future will harness
the power of teamwork to meet the medical, psychological, social and
personal health needs of the patients they serve.”

Coordinating care across multiple providers who treat a single patient
is a key strategy for ensuring positive clinical outcomes, while also
reducing costs. As the health care system continues to evolve toward
coordinated care models, there is also an increasing imperative to offer
seniors programs to help address needs beyond medical care – and the
survey shows seniors are interested.

The survey found that 36 percent of seniors say they want more
opportunities to engage with people in their community. Almost one in
three seniors (32 percent) say it is just as important for health care
providers to offer transportation to medical appointments as it is to
monitor blood pressure. And, more than a quarter (28 percent) want their
health care provider to offer access to a gym or group fitness classes.

Other key survey findings include:

• Almost all seniors (95 percent) are satisfied with the quality of care
  they receive from their health care provider.
• A slight majority of seniors (56 percent) would like their health care
  provider to offer specific programs to help manage their health (from
  a list that was provided). Those who report their health being fair or
  poor are 34 percent more likely to want these programs than seniors in
  good or excellent health (71 percent vs. 47 percent).
• More than half of seniors (51 percent) say it is at least somewhat
  important to receive regular calls from their health care providers’
  office regarding follow up to their care plans.

The survey, titled “More Than Medicine: A Survey of Seniors by
CareMore,” was conducted by telephone in the U.S. by Harris Poll
on behalf of CareMore between September 26 and October 13, 2016 and is
weighted to be nationally representative. The research was conducted
among 1,005 U.S. adults aged 65+ who have seen a health care provider
for a medical appointment (“seniors”). For more information about the
survey findings (including weighting variables), please go to: www.caremorehealthsystem.com/senior-survey

¹ Among the serious health conditions seniors reported being
diagnosed with are high blood pressure/hypertension (58 percent), high
cholesterol (46 percent) or type 2 diabetes (25 percent), among others.

About CareMore

CareMore is a physician-founded, physician-led care delivery system and
health plan that harnesses the power of teamwork to treat the whole
person. Through a focus on prevention and highly coordinated care, its
clinical model and designed-for-purpose approach to managing chronic
disease proactively addresses the medical, social and personal health
needs of its patients, resulting in clinical outcomes above the national
average and ultimately, healthier people and communities. Over the past
seven years, the CareMore Care Centers have expanded from one state to
seven. And today, the CareMore delivery system provides care for
enrollees in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plans in California,
Nevada, Arizona, Virginia, Tennessee, Iowa and Georgia. CareMore also is
participating in a dual demonstration project in parts of Los Angeles
County in conjunction with state and federal regulators to coordinate
care for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. For more
information about CareMore, go to www.caremorehealthsystem.com.

Contacts

CareMore
Emily Hackel
(347) 852-0066
Emily.Hackel@CareMore.com