Cathie Ramey
RedwoodAge.com

When it comes to healthcare, American women know what they want. They're just not getting it.

Given the choice, American women want a healthcare system that is timely, personal, convenient, and coordinated. Instead, a Harris Interactive poll finds they experience a disjointed system that results in confusion, duplication and contradictory recommendations by their doctors.

It's a big problem. Americans visit their family physicians 215 million times a year, accounting for about a quarter of all doctor visits. 

Sixty percent of those surveyed said it was a "challenge" to obtain healthcare for themselves and/or family members; and when they do, more than a quarter said the burden of informing one medical provider what another had recommended or diagnosed fell on their shoulders.

What's more, these problems are costly according to Dr. Jim King, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) who commissioned the survey. 

"A system that is difficult to navigate and relies on patients to deliver tests and communicate diagnoses leads to fragmented care, duplication of tests and sometimes unnecessary procedures - all of which steadily drive up the cost of healthcare for the nation as a whole," said King.

If women could create their own healthcare program,  it would stress personal care. Sixty-eight percent would ask for same-day appointments with their personal primary care physician while 63 percent say a relationship with a doctor who knows their family members' medical history is extremely important.

Having the same doctor  provide high-quality care to every member of the family regardless of age or gender  is a top priority for more than half and 63 percent find it extremely important to have the same doctor  manage any chronic medical conditions like diabetes, asthma or heart disease.  

High Tech
Women are looking to technology to play a role in improving healthcare practices as well. Three out of five ranked doctors' ability to send medical information to other doctors using technology as extremely important.

Approximately half believe it's very important that doctors and patients communicate electronically and 50 percent want doctors to send prescriptions to pharmacists using high tech means.

"These are all elements of a patient-centered medical home," King said.  "This concept is taking hold across the country. Family physicians are at the forefront in developing this model of personalized, top quality healthcare that every patient deserves."

One physician who concurs is Melissa Gerdes of Whitehouse, Texas.  Gerdes is participating in a two-year, $8 million practice redesign program initiated by AAFP which includes 34 practices nationwide.

"When people envision an ideal healthcare environment, they generally are thinking of what we call the patient-centered medical home," said Gerdes.  

In this model, patients have an ongoing relationship with a personal physician who helps them traverse a complicated and confusing healthcare system by coordinating and facilitating services with other qualified medical professionals.

Among the features that a team-based medical home model employs are:

• preventive care, sick care, and help managing chronic care;
• expanded hours and same-day appointments;
• care coordination across all settings including doctors' offices, hospitals, nursing homes and consultants;
• electronic health records to store patient's history and healthcare interactions;
• use of technology enabling doctors to communicate with each other  and stay up to date on mutual patients' medical conditions;
• virtual office visits via secure e-mail; and
• the convenience of transmitting prescriptions electronically.

"A patient-centered medical home meets patients' needs for convenience and ensures the kind of comprehensive, quality care they deserve," King said.  "Family physicians are moving forward with a vision, a purpose and a plan to make a patient-centered medical home a reality for everyone in the United States."