Health

  • Home
  • Business
    • Internet
    • Market
    • Stock
  • Parent Category
    • Child Category 1
      • Sub Child Category 1
      • Sub Child Category 2
      • Sub Child Category 3
    • Child Category 2
    • Child Category 3
    • Child Category 4
  • Featured
  • Health
    • Childcare
    • Doctors
  • Home
  • Business
    • Internet
    • Market
    • Stock
  • Downloads
    • Dvd
    • Games
    • Software
      • Office
  • Parent Category
    • Child Category 1
      • Sub Child Category 1
      • Sub Child Category 2
      • Sub Child Category 3
    • Child Category 2
    • Child Category 3
    • Child Category 4
  • Featured
  • Health
    • Childcare
    • Doctors
  • Uncategorized

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Health care is ‘overwhelmingly complex’ for older adults, experts say: ‘Ever-increasing hurdle’

 March 28, 2024     Health, Health News Today on Fox News     No comments   

Adults tend to need more medical care as they age, but coordinating that care can be stressful and strenuous for seniors.

Getting in-person care and treatment can require "substantial time, effort and cost" for older adults and their partners or caregivers, according to a new study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Led by Ishani Ganguli, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, researchers looked at data from 6,619 adults aged 65 and older, who responded to the 2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data, to get an idea of the number of days spent receiving medical care.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELPS PREDICT SENIORS’ LONG-TERM CARE NEEDS: ‘CRITICAL NEXT STEPS’

During that year, the older adults had an average of 17.3 "ambulatory contact days," which consisted of visits to a primary care doctor or specialty doctor — or a test, imaging procedure or treatment.

They had an average of 20.7 total contact days, which also included days spent in a hospital, emergency department, skilled-nursing facility or hospice facility.

Around 11% of the adults had 50 or more total contact days.

"Some of this may be very beneficial and valuable for people, and some of it may be less essential," Ganguli of Harvard Medical School told KFF Health News. 

HUNDREDS OF RURAL HOSPITALS ARE IN DANGER OF SHUTTING DOWN, STUDY FINDS: ‘AT RISK OF CLOSURE'

"We don’t talk enough about what we’re asking older adults to do and whether that’s realistic."

Woven into all of those medical touchpoints are different guidelines for medical conditions, financial incentives offered to doctors and the need for specialized care, Ganguli noted.

"It’s not uncommon for older patients to have three or more heart specialists who schedule regular appointments and tests," she also said.

For patients with multiple health issues, there are even more appointments to juggle.

"The good news is that we know so much more and can do so much more for people with various conditions," Thomas H. Lee, chief medical officer at Press Ganey, a consulting firm that tracks patients’ experiences with health care, told KFF Health News. 

"The bad news is the system has gotten overwhelmingly complex."

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in the research but agreed that medical complexity for seniors is a "huge problem" in the U.S.

"The medical system is overburdened coming out of the pandemic, and there is a shortage of both doctors and nurses," he told Fox News Digital.

HOME HOSPITAL CARE BRINGS ‘PHENOMENAL’ BENEFITS TO PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS, STUDY FINDS

Meanwhile, the health care needs of the country’s elderly are increasing, especially with technological advances in helping to manage chronic illness, Siegel noted.

"At the same time, the extensiveness of Medicare coverage is shrinking, along with providers who can work with it," the doctor added.

"And the barriers to getting needed procedures and treatments are increasing, along with out-of-pocket costs."

Dr. Shana Johnson, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in Scottsdale, Arizona, said the complexity of navigating the U.S. health care system is an "ever-increasing hurdle" to obtaining medical care. 

"Every step of the health care system is laden with complexity — from scheduling an appointment with a provider that accepts your insurance, to filling a prescription that you can afford, to discerning which medical tests you actually need," she told Fox News Digital.

Johnson was not involved in the new study.

In her new role as an independent health care system consultant, Johnson works to help patients navigate this complexity.

"An increasing number of people are reaching out for help navigating the system and finding the right care," she said.

A patient recently contacted Johnson for help after her primary care doctor’s failed attempts to refer her to a rheumatologist.

"First, her doctor sent her to the university medical center," she said. "They denied the referral because their appointment slots were reserved for high-complexity cases, and her case was deemed not difficult enough."

A second referral was placed to a private rheumatology practice, but they declined because they didn’t accept Medicaid insurance. 

SPENDING THE NIGHT IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM PUTS OLDER ADULTS AT HIGHER RISK OF DYING IN THE HOSPITAL: STUDY

"Fewer private practices accept Medicaid because of the low reimbursement rates," Johnson noted.

At this point, the patient contacted Johnson for help in getting connected to care.

"After speaking with her, I suspected she had fibromyalgia, and this expanded the number of specialists who could help her," she said.

Johnson referred the patient to a pain clinic in a large hospital system — but the clinic denied the referral because it was too busy with opioid patients and could not accept outside referrals. 

Also, the patient’s doctor did not work for the hospital system. 

"Next, I tried the general physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic," Johnson said. "They said no because she was a better fit for the pain clinic that declined to see her."

HEALTH CARE OR HOUSING? MORE STATES ARE USING MEDICAID FUNDS TO HELP THE HOMELESS

At this point, the patient had waited five months, in pain, trying to get a diagnosis — and treatment hadn't even started.  

Johnson noted, "This patient's struggles are not unique — they are the usual."

When faced with the "treatment burden" that comes with making appointments, finding transportation, following up with insurance companies, incorporating doctors’ recommendations and managing medical costs, many seniors may opt to forgo care altogether, according to Victor Montori, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

In a 2020 research paper, Montori revealed that around 40% of patients with chronic conditions "considered their treatment burden [to be] unsustainable."

At highest risk are the older adults who are managing multiple medical conditions and those who have "low levels of education" or are "economically insecure and socially isolated," as reported by KFF.

ER VISIT TIMES: HERE’S HOW LONG PATIENTS SPEND IN EMERGENCY ROOMS IN EACH STATE

The rise of digital technologies in the health care system can add another layer of difficulty for older adults, experts agreed.

"It’s harder and harder for patients to gain access to clinicians who can problem-solve with them and answer questions," Montori told KFF.

Elizabeth Rogers, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, shared with KFF Health News her tips for making care more accessible for older adults.

First, she recommended giving feedback to doctors if a treatment plan doesn’t seem sustainable.

"Be sure to discuss your health priorities and trade-offs —what you might gain and what you might lose by forgoing certain tests or treatments," she told KFF. 

It’s also important to discuss which medical interactions are essential and which can be skipped, Rogers said.

Based on these discussions, doctors might be able to make adjustments to treatment plans or prescriptions. 

Some medical centers may have social workers or "patient navigators" on staff to help seniors coordinate and consolidate appointments, and arrange transportation if necessary.

Rogers also stressed the need for seniors to ask questions to ensure they understand their doctors’ directions. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"I would ask a clinician, ‘If I chose this treatment option, what does that mean not only for my cancer or heart disease, but also for the time I’ll spend getting care?’" Ganguli of Harvard told KFF. 

"If they don’t have an answer, ask if they can come up with an estimate."  

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.



from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/q1hRBpy
  • Share This:  
  •  Facebook
  •  Twitter
  •  Google+
  •  Stumble
  •  Digg
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook

Related Posts:

  • Louisiana mom donates kidney to 12-year-old daughter, gives her ‘life again’A New Orleans, Louisiana mom who recently donated a kidney to her daughter gave her life — again. from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2SOHD16 … Read More
  • FOX NEWS: Study finds link between big bellies and shrinking brains Study finds link between big bellies and shrinking brains A new study has found that those who have a high ratio of body mass index and waist-to-h… Read More
  • FOX NEWS: Hawaii confirms rat lungworm disease in Big Island infant Hawaii confirms rat lungworm disease in Big Island infant Health officials have confirmed a case of rat lungworm disease in a Hawaiian infant who … Read More
  • FOX NEWS: FDA warns about impact of long-term inspection hiatus as partial government shutdown curtails food safety inspections FDA warns about impact of long-term inspection hiatus as partial government shutdown curtails food safety inspections With 41 percent of the FDA's… Read More
  • Study finds link between big bellies and shrinking brainsA new study has found that those who have a high ratio of body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio had lower brain volume than others. from FOX News ht… Read More
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

  • FOX NEWS: Woman’s ‘baby bump’ turns out to be two ovarian tumors
    Woman’s ‘baby bump’ turns out to be two ovarian tumors A 49-year-old woman who struggled with fertility thought she might be pregnant w...
  • Helping Stroke Patients Regain Movement in their Hands
    By BY PAM BELLUCK from NYT Health https://ift.tt/6uNPHMD
  • Ozempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
    A new trend gaining popularity among people trying to lose weight is microdosing the diabetes medication Ozempic. With approximately 70% of...

Recent Posts

Categories

  • Health News Today on Fox News
  • FOX NEWS
  • Fox News : Health
  • Health
  • Health News Today on Fox News
  • Healthy tips
  • NYT

Unordered List

Pages

  • Home

Text Widget

Blog Archive

  • July 2025 (34)
  • June 2025 (75)
  • May 2025 (88)
  • April 2025 (84)
  • March 2025 (88)
  • February 2025 (70)
  • January 2025 (72)
  • December 2024 (81)
  • November 2024 (70)
  • October 2024 (82)
  • September 2024 (75)
  • August 2024 (82)
  • July 2024 (79)
  • June 2024 (74)
  • May 2024 (73)
  • April 2024 (78)
  • March 2024 (75)
  • February 2024 (78)
  • January 2024 (78)
  • December 2023 (60)
  • November 2023 (80)
  • October 2023 (74)
  • September 2023 (75)
  • August 2023 (85)
  • July 2023 (67)
  • June 2023 (58)
  • May 2023 (100)
  • April 2023 (105)
  • March 2023 (118)
  • February 2023 (84)
  • January 2023 (87)
  • December 2022 (69)
  • November 2022 (64)
  • October 2022 (78)
  • September 2022 (74)
  • August 2022 (110)
  • July 2022 (109)
  • June 2022 (127)
  • May 2022 (95)
  • April 2022 (109)
  • March 2022 (140)
  • February 2022 (138)
  • January 2022 (170)
  • December 2021 (182)
  • November 2021 (213)
  • October 2021 (506)
  • September 2021 (539)
  • August 2021 (564)
  • July 2021 (590)
  • June 2021 (556)
  • May 2021 (544)
  • April 2021 (310)
  • March 2021 (331)
  • February 2021 (301)
  • January 2021 (326)
  • December 2020 (521)
  • November 2020 (403)
  • October 2020 (537)
  • September 2020 (554)
  • August 2020 (431)
  • July 2020 (647)
  • June 2020 (610)
  • May 2020 (659)
  • April 2020 (681)
  • March 2020 (729)
  • February 2020 (564)
  • January 2020 (483)
  • December 2019 (396)
  • November 2019 (416)
  • October 2019 (526)
  • September 2019 (486)
  • August 2019 (441)
  • July 2019 (394)
  • June 2019 (381)
  • May 2019 (510)
  • April 2019 (471)
  • March 2019 (560)
  • February 2019 (403)
  • January 2019 (530)
  • December 2018 (382)
  • November 2018 (378)
  • October 2018 (510)
  • September 2018 (297)
Powered by Blogger.

Report Abuse

Formulir Kontak



Search This Blog

Find Us On Facebook

Labels

  • Health News Today on Fox News
  • FOX NEWS
  • Fox News : Health
  • Health
  • Health News Today on Fox News
  • Healthy tips
  • NYT

Flickr Images

Most Popular

  • FOX NEWS: Woman’s ‘baby bump’ turns out to be two ovarian tumors
    Woman’s ‘baby bump’ turns out to be two ovarian tumors A 49-year-old woman who struggled with fertility thought she might be pregnant w...
  • Helping Stroke Patients Regain Movement in their Hands
    By BY PAM BELLUCK from NYT Health https://ift.tt/6uNPHMD
  • Ozempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
    A new trend gaining popularity among people trying to lose weight is microdosing the diabetes medication Ozempic. With approximately 70% of...
  • As eating disorders increase among college students, here's how parents can help: ‘Early intervention is key’
    While most of us have heard about the "Freshman 15" — the stereotypical first-year weight gain among college students — a growing ...
  • Psychedelics as potential mental health treatment are explored by Trump administration
    The Trump administration has expressed interest in exploring psychedelics for their potential in treating PTSD and other debilitating mental...
  • Pioneer of America's global HIV/AIDS program recalls hope after years of despair
    Through his office window at what was then one of Africa's few modern clinics dealing with HIV and AIDS , the man who now oversees the U...
  • Free COVID tests will again be available from US government starting next week
    The U.S. government is reactivating the program that mails free COVID-19 tests to Americans' homes upon request. Effective Sept. 25, h...
  • New COVID vaccine push is ‘anti-human,’ says Florida surgeon general: ‘Major safety concern’
    The new COVID-19 vaccine is now available at participating pharmacies and health care providers, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ...
  • AI tech aims to help patients catch disease early even reverse their biological age
    In humanity's quest to live longer, healthier lives, technology — particularly artificial intelligence — is playing an ever-bigger role...
  • Omicron variant: Is it leading us closer to herd immunity against COVID-19?
    Is omicron leading us closer to herd immunity against COVID-19? from FOX News : Health https://ift.tt/Jb74Ani

Sample Text

Copyright © 2025 Health | Powered by Blogger
Design by Hardeep Asrani | Blogger Theme by NewBloggerThemes.com | Distributed By Gooyaabi Templates