Survey: More Americans Turn to Technology for Health Information, with a Record Number Now Comparison Shopping for Care
September 26 2019 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
- Fourth-annual UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey
provides insights into Americans' health care knowledge, opinions
and preferences during open enrollment
- A survey-record 37% of respondents have used the internet or
mobile apps to comparison shop for care, yet many people need
greater access to cost information for prescription
medications
- Nearly half (45%) of Americans said they would be interested
in their physician using artificial intelligence in care decisions,
with Millennials (55%) the most receptive
- Most survey respondents (75%) with health benefits say they
are prepared for the fall’s open enrollment season, down 2
percentage points from a year ago
Many Americans want technology – such as artificial intelligence
– to help make health care decisions, and a record number say they
have used the internet and mobile apps to comparison shop for care,
according to a new UnitedHealthcare survey.
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the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190926005063/en/
Here are highlights from the 2019
UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey, including data points
about open enrollment preparedness and technology trends. (Graphic:
UnitedHealthcare)
These are some of the findings from the fourth-annual
UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey, which examines
Americans’ attitudes and opinions about multiple areas of health
care, including open enrollment preparedness, technology and
transparency trends and health literacy. Key findings include:
- More Americans are turning to technology to comparison shop
and access care, but few know the cost of prescription
medications. A survey-record 37% of respondents said they had
used the internet or mobile apps to comparison shop for health care
during the past year. Among those, 39% said they changed the
facility or care provider (or both) as a result. Yet people would
benefit from the wider use of resources that make pharmacy costs
more transparent, as just over 10% of respondents who take
prescription medications say they “always” know the cost of the
drugs before leaving the doctor’s office. Meanwhile, many
respondents (39%) said they would likely use telemedicine in the
future to access care, a 2 percentage point increase from
2016.
- Many are interested in artificial intelligence and
voice-activated assistants: Nearly half (45%) of respondents
said they would be interested in their physician using artificial
intelligence to help with treatment decisions, while 28% said they
were uninterested. Among users of voice-activated assistants, 61%
said they would be interested in using this type of technology to
help evaluate health care information.
- Most people with health benefits say they are prepared for
open enrollment, and many want vision and dental coverage
options. Three-quarters (75%) of respondents said they are
prepared for open enrollment, including 84% of Gen-Xers and 78% of
Baby Boomers, but just 69% of Millennials and 44% of Gen-Z. Nearly
one in five (19%) said they are unprepared. When it comes to
specialty benefits, most respondents (77%) said it was “important”
to have vision and dental coverage options during open
enrollment.
“Technology continues to reshape nearly every aspect of life,
including how people research and access health care,” said Rebecca
Madsen, chief consumer officer of UnitedHealthcare. “This survey
suggests Americans are increasingly embracing technology as an
important resource to improve their health and more effectively
navigate the health system, while highlighting the need for further
investment in new resources to help enhance the care experience and
provide more effective, evidence-based clinical interventions.”
Technology and Transparency Trends Technology continues
to play an increasingly important role in how people research
health care options.
More than one-third of respondents (37%) said they have used the
internet or mobile apps during the last year to compare the quality
and cost of medical services – more than double the 14% in 2012
(according to another UnitedHealthcare study). Millennials (50%)
were the most likely to use comparison shopping resources. Among
all comparison shoppers, 80% described the process as “very
helpful” or “somewhat helpful,” including 39% saying the shopping
process prompted them to change the health care provider or
facility (or both) for the service.
Meanwhile, few Americans say they know the cost of prescription
medications, highlighting the need for greater transparency around
drug costs. Among people taking prescriptions, a majority (64%)
said they “never” know the cost of the medications before leaving
the doctor’s office; 21% said they “sometimes” know this
information. Just 11% said they always know the price.
Some Americans are embracing emerging technologies that may
influence treatment decisions, with 45% of respondents saying they
are interested in their physician using artificial intelligence to
help with diagnosis. Among those, 46% were motivated by the
potential for a more accurate diagnosis; 31% cited the potential to
reduce human error; and 15% hoped for faster treatment decisions.
For respondents uninterested in artificial intelligence, they cited
a preference for the expertise of a trained health care
professional (47%) and a lack of trust in the technology (24%).
Open Enrollment Preparedness and Preferences When it
comes to time spent researching health benefits during open
enrollment, 36% of respondents said they devote less than one hour
to the process; 27% spent between one and three hours; and 23% said
more than three hours. Many affirmed the importance of specialty
benefits: 77% of respondents with health benefits said that having
vision and dental coverage options is “important” during open
enrollment.
Nearly 55% of respondents said they check if their doctors are
in-network for the health plan they intend to select. In regard to
understanding common health care terms, more than half of
respondents successfully defined plan premium (59%) and deductible
(53%); however, respondents had a more difficult time defining
out-of-pocket maximum (33%) and co-insurance (21%).
When it comes to help with a question or to resolving an issue
with their health plan, two-thirds (66%) of respondents preferred
speaking directly with a customer service representative; 10%
preferred a self-service option through an app or online. For
nearly half of respondents (46%), a health care professional, such
as a doctor or nurse, is usually the first source of information
about specific health symptoms or ailments, followed by the
internet or a mobile app for 20% of respondents.
For complete survey results, click here.
About the Survey
The 2019 UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey was
conducted Aug. 8-12, 2019, using Engine’s Telephone CARAVAN® survey
among a landline and cell phone probability sample of 1,008 U.S.
adults 18 and older. The margin of error was plus or minus 3% at
the 95% confidence level. Supplemental interviewing, among a
probability sample of 1,002 U.S. adults age 18 and older, was
conducted Aug. 22-28, 2019.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier
lives and making the health system work better for everyone by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full
spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and
Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with
more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500
hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also
provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned
and operated health care facilities in South America.
UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC
on Twitter.
*Survey results are designed to reflect opinions of Americans
based on probability sampling of 1,008 adults, along with
additional supplemental sampling of 1,002 adults.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190926005063/en/
Will Shanley UnitedHealthcare (714) 204-8005
will.shanley@uhc.com
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