Studies, Surveys and Reports: What Can We Learn?

We have rounded up some reports and surveys from around the industry that we thought were of interest.

Sage Growth Partners Releases 2023 Telehealth Innovation Report
Sage Growth Partners (SGP) (@SGPHealth), a nationally recognized healthcare research, strategy, and marketing firm, has released a new telehealth innovation report centered around what virtual care currently is, and what it can eventually come to be in the future. The new report, Telehealth: The Innovation That’s Not Yet a Habit, offers insights from physicians and industry leaders within hospitals, health systems and private medical practices. The report is based on results from an August 2023 survey of 155 respondents nationwide and was created in conjunction with Project Healthcare and The Disruption Lab – in support of this year’s TELEHEALTH ACADEMY III.

New Research From Inovalon and Harvard Uncovers Utilization and Cost Differences Between Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare
Inovalon (@InovalonInc), a provider of cloud-based software solutions empowering data-driven healthcare, released the latest findings from a first-of-its-kind study designed and conducted in collaboration with Harvard Medical School (@harvardmed) researchers. The research utilizes a large, unique and nationally representative Medicare population to shed light on how healthcare utilization and expenditures differ between Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Fee-for-Service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries. The study finds that MA significantly reduces hospitalizations and expenditures compared to FFS, while providing comparable access to high quality primary care. Insights from this research can drive policy actions and lead to meaningful cost and quality improvements for millions of Medicare beneficiaries.

Hospital Prices Vary for Those Who Call to Ask, Report Shows
Hospitals in the United States may quote vastly different prices for their services – depending on how you find that information, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Internal Medicine (@JAMAInternalMed). In this cross-sectional study of 60 U.S. hospitals, there was a significant difference in prices found online and those given over the phone to “secret shoppers.”

Nearly 1 in 5 Counties in U.S. Have No Psychiatrists or Internet Broadband, RAND Study Finds
Nearly one in five counties in the U.S. do not have psychiatrists or internet broadband, making it hard for the 10.5 million people in these in these counties to get access to mental health services, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation and Harvard. Counties with this issue are more likely to be rural, have high unemployment and uninsurance, and have fewer residents that have college education. Additionally, these counties have a higher percentage of adults with a history of depression, frequent mental distress, drug overdose deaths and completed suicide.

Chief Nursing Officers View Virtual Nursing as Integral to Care says AvaSure survey
AvaSure (@AvaSure), an acute virtual sitting and virtual nursing solutions company, announced the results of a primary market research survey revealing that the majority of chief nursing officers (CNOs) view virtual nursing as integral to care delivery models in acute patient care.

Teen Mental Health Study Demonstrates Positive User Engagement and Satisfaction With the BeMe Health Platform
BeMe Health (@bemehealthcare), creator of an interventional behavioral health platform built by and for teens, released data from an evaluation conducted in collaboration with Stanford University showing broad reach, active use, and positive impact of the BeMe Health platform in more than 13,000 adolescents nationwide.

Say What? Four in 10 Americans See No Danger in Mixing Alcohol and Sleep Aids
Nearly half of Americans (47%) have experienced a reaction to alcohol, the sun, or both, and only later learned it may have been due to a sensitivity caused by their prescription medication. A new survey by health tech pioneer DrFirst (@DrFirst) reveals a disconnect between patient understanding and medication safety. The survey of 1,047 consumers is part of DrFirst’s series exploring experiences and behaviors related to healthcare and medications.

MU researchers study barriers and facilitators to accessing health care in rural Missouri
Rural Missourians often face more disparities in health outcomes than their urban and suburban counterparts, in part from challenges accessing health care — a problem amplified in recent years by a growing physician shortage. But a new study at the University of Missouri (@Mizzou) found that health and health care organizations are increasingly offering basic social services, such as transportation, housing, food, and mental health support, as they recognize these services contribute to a person’s overall health.

Wolters Kluwer survey shows U.S. pharmacies face headwinds on children’s vaccinations
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) in the U.S. and, as parents prepare to send their children back to school, routine immunization is a must-have to ensure a healthy start. Yet, while Americans increasingly turn to local pharmacies to get their adult vaccinations, many are sticking solely with primary care doctors or pediatricians for their children’s vaccines. That’s according to the results of the Pharmacy Next survey, commissioned by Wolters Kluwer Health (@Wolters_Kluwer), which found overall shifts away from primary care physicians for immunizations. One area, childhood vaccinations, bucks that trend, posing headwinds for pharmacies seeking to grow adoption of their immunization services.

New National Survey Highlights ⁠Key Solution to America’s Physician Shortage and Burnout Crisis
Surescripts (@Surescripts), a health information sharing network, released results from a new survey of pharmacists and physicians that reveals compelling perspectives into how pharmacists and providers view their roles on primary care teams, as well as how healthcare must evolve post-pandemic to facilitate a team-based approach to care and more efficiently meet patient needs.

Consumer Health Insurance Report from Carenet Health Validates Members’ Demand for Improved Experiences
Carenet Health (@CarenetHealth), a provider of 24/7 and on-demand patient engagement solutions, announced the findings of its first consumer health insurance report, that reveals members’ perceptions about their insurance plans and validates their demand for improved experiences. As healthcare costs across the country continue to rise and consumers have increasing options to choose from to manage their care experience, the survey findings provide an in-depth overview of how members view their commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid insurance plans.

New Report Finds Americans’ Dangerous Google Self-Diagnosis Habit Threatens Lives
We’ve all done it – turned to the convenience of our cell phones to Google our latest symptoms in hopes of determining whether our sudden cough is deadly or simply a head cold. While WebMD introduced self-diagnosing years ago, this trend has taken off over the years as people began turning to social media to evaluate their symptoms. What’s the harm? Well, if you aren’t having these self-diagnoses verified by – plenty. According to a recent survey by Tebra (@TebraOfficial), less than half (43%) of those who diagnosed themselves online sought a second opinion from a medical professional.

Mental Health, Supreme Court Rulings Among College Students’ Top Stressors
College students are facing significant stress and sleep deprivation as they prepare for the fall semester, according to a recent survey by TimelyCare (@timely_care), higher education’s most trusted virtual health and well-being provider. The survey, which gathered responses from 1,200 college students nationwide, highlights the ongoing mental health crisis on campuses and sheds light on the top stressors students are currently facing.