Patients and doctors differ when it comes to daily health activities

GE HealthcareFeb 17 2010

When it comes to daily health activities such as diet and exercise, Americans and their doctors may not always see eye to eye. According to the new GE Better Health Study conducted with Cleveland Clinic and Ochsner Health System, 92 percent of healthcare professionals (HCPs) surprisingly give Americans far lower grades, “C” or lower, on managing their personal health than Americans give themselves. As the first in a series that will examine healthy living attitudes and behaviors, the study is part of GE’s healthymagination initiative, which seeks to provide better health for more people through technology and innovation.

“Health care professionals are eager to help people achieve better health.”

The GE Better Health Study also asked Americans and HCPs about health and healthy living behaviors and the current state of patient-doctor relationships. The answers revealed that when it comes to daily health activities such as diet and exercise, Americans are not doing as much as they say they are to stay healthy.

For instance, 70 percent of Americans say they have at some point taken actions to avoid going to the doctor, including walking around in pain or asking a friend for medical advice, rather than addressing their health issues. When Americans do go for a checkup, 77 percent of HCPs say one-fourth or more of their patients omit facts or lie to them about their personal health.

“Lifestyle changes that include avoidance of tobacco, regular physical activity, food choices and portion size, and managing stress could decrease healthcare costs more than 40 percent,” said Michael F. Roizen, M.D. Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic. As a starting point, get active!"

AMERICANS MORE GENEROUS THAN HCPs IN GRADING THEIR HEALTHY LIVING HABITS

A promising finding in the study is that eight of 10 respondents said eating healthy and exercising regularly are very important to healthy living, and 71 percent said they have a plan for living healthy. However, while one-third give themselves an “A” grade on daily health specifics including exercise (34 percent), eating healthy (33 percent) and managing stress (30 percent), more than 90 percent of HCPs give them a “C” or lower on these same health specifics.

“It’s crucial for people to take ownership of their health if they want to maintain it. This is not just a question of motivation; we’re seeing a significant doctor-patient communication gap,” said Dr. Joseph Bisordi, Chief Medical Officer, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans. “Health care professionals are eager to help people achieve better health.”

VITAL PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION NOT A TOP PRIORITY

Less than half of Americans know their current cholesterol levels, only one-third know their daily caloric intake, and just 29 percent know their blood glucose level. There is also uncertainty about preventive screenings that could prove life-saving down the road: Nearly half of men (42 percent) find it easier to answer how old residents need to be in their state for a driver’s license versus at what age they should get their first prostate exam, and 30 percent of women say the same about mammograms. In addition, respondents have an easier time answering non-health-related questions than facts about their own health:

• More people (49 percent) know when to change the oil in their car than their current cholesterol level (43 percent).
• More know how many vacation days they have left (47 percent) versus the number of calories they ate yesterday (43 percent).

Though Americans say time is their biggest challenge to living healthier (33 percent), they spend more time each year cleaning their house or thinking about living in a cleaner house (50 percent) than taking care of their personal health (44 percent).

HEALTHYMAGINATION.COM OFFERS CONSUMER INNOVATIONS

In response to the study findings, GE’s healthymagination.com now offers a suite of solutions to help patients partner with physicians to improve their health.

• The Better Health Conversation, developed with WebMD, works to ensure that patients have both the personal information and questions needed to get more out of physician visits. An online “chat” walks users through a series of questions to ask their doctor about their health and identifies information patients should have before they arrive at their doctor’s office.
• The free mobile application “Morsel” provides consumers with a manageable and rewarding program that lets them take a simple step toward better health each day. The application, available for iPhone and Android, suggests easy-to-do health activities and explains why taking these steps is good for your health.
• The Sharing Healthy Ideas platform encourages users to share health news, features and blogs on a variety of sites with others via email, Twitter or by sending to their phone.

“We know Americans want to live healthier, but they are looking for a path to follow,” says Mike Barber, Vice President, healthymagination “Healthymagination is about better health for more people. We’re bringing innovations to consumers so they can refocus on their health and make healthy living activities part of their daily routine. Our goal is for consumers and physicians to be more effective partners through better communication, and a system that encourages continuous learning and improvement.”

OLYMPIANS JOIN GE TO LAUNCH HEALTHYMAGINATION: THE YEAR OF BETTER HEALTH FOR MORE PEOPLE

To promote the use of these tools and build awareness about ways Americans can take charge of their health, two-time Olympic champion and five-time World Champion figure skater Michelle Kwan will kick off the campaign in New York on Feb. 16. A strong advocate for Americans playing an active role in their own healthy lifestyles, Kwan will bring the study findings to life for consumers and encourage Americans to think about their health in new ways in 2010. In addition, Kwan will join Olympic Gold Medalists Scott Hamilton, Angela Ruggiero (current defenseman for U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team) and Martin Brodeur (current goalie for Team Canada Ice Hockey) will be in Vancouver talking to consumers about the importance of healthy living.