Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

As older boomers prepare for retirement, many worry that their doctors lack the expertise to handle medical needs brought on by aging. 

About 70 percent of boomers believe it's important that their physician have specialized training to deal with older patients, but said they cannot find such a doctor, according to a senior health index from the American System for Advancing Senior Health, which provides consumers and their healthcare professionals with health information, services and tools.

One in four women said they believe that their health may have suffered because their physician did not have such expertise.

Many doctors aren't focused on geriatric medicine, and a shortage of professionals may spell trouble for the nation's growing senior health population, the Institute of Medicine warned last month.

Compounding the problem is that fact that older patients are living longer and have complex health needs. So rather than wait for a solution, most boomers feel they are best served by taking matters into their own hands. 

The index "shows that more than 50 percent of consumers over 54 feel that they are the ones most able to improve the quality of their care beyond its current level," said David Dierk, president of ASASH. "People are seeking ways to take action in light of the crisis that the Institute of Medicine study revealed."

Boomers hungry for health information often turn online to locate resources that might improve their situation, said John Zogby, a pollster at Zogby International who conducted the study for ASASH. They "use the Internet to take a much more activist role in almost every aspect of their lives."

Help with Decisions
Resources don't necessarily have to be online, however. About 89 percent said that if they could find a "credible source of information" about their health and healthcare - specifically tailored to seniors - they would access it. Large majorities said they believe such information would help them better communicate with their physicians, follow treatment guidelines with confidence, use the overall healthcare system more effectively, lead a more healthy life in general, and do so while living at their own home. 

The availability of credible information would also increase their confidence to talk to healthcare providers about new treatment options.

One in every three respondents said they need more help with their healthcare decisions, and 71 percent said they want to be able to find more information about their own healthcare. This may be in part because most people want to be in control, and believe they are in the best position to help improve the quality of their health, according to the study.

Nearly half said they are likely to seek a different healthcare provider to achieve better results, and 45 percent said they believe it is possible to obtain better care than they are now receiving.

Still, as explained by the IOM report, improved quality of care for older Americans is tough to obtain for two reasons: Medicare's low reimbursement rates to providers, and an emphasis on treating short-term health problems rather than managing chronic conditions and encouraging preventive measures. To that end, there's not enough focus on alleviating those concerns, the index suggested.

More than half of the respondents aged 55 to 64 said they believe the country at large does not understand or care about the health challenges senior citizens face. Among those aged 65 and older, 40 percent said the same.