Finn Futures survey looks at gaps in patient knowledge, healthcare system

NEW YORK — Finn Partners on Tuesday released the results of a 1,000-person national survey that sheds light on how much of the health care system patients have to navigate on their own, the role of pharmacists and gaps  patients navigate the health care system and the role of pharmacists within it. 

 

Among the survey’s findings is the fact that when it comes to prescriptions, many respondents trust their pharmacist’s advice. Forty-three percent of those surveyed said their pharmacist always or frequently recommend an alternative to the medication they were prescribed by their provider and nearly half always or mostly accept the recommendation. Additionally, 75% of those surveyed said they would consult a physician or pharmacist with questions about their prescriptions, and 46% only see their primary care physician once a year when reminded to make an appointment, or when they are ill. 

 

The data, according to Finn Partners managing partner Gil Bashe, shows gaps in the health care system that means patients have to do a lot of legwork. 

 

“Despite the talk, the concept of consumer — in this case, the patient — as king has yet to be realized within the health community,” Bashe said. “Providing a clearer path for patients to navigate the system may improve outcomes and reduce costs — it’s still a missing magic ingredient. … While U.S. health sectors — payer, provider, pharma and policymakers — have varied objectives, they all intersect around the patient. Health leaders who see patients as customers are the most likely to win relationship loyalty.”

 

For more insights from the survey, see the infographic below.