Majority of Americans Concerned Healthcare System is Unprepared to Care for Aging Population, New Study Finds

New report from the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) provides an update on 2017 Kaiser Family Foundation study of American attitudes about healthcare

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Understanding American attitudes about illness, death, and the healthcare system is critical to developing programs, policies, and services to support the country's aging population. Today, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) released Views and Experiences of Aging & End-of-Life Care in the US. The report contains the initial research findings from a nationally representative survey exploring how Americans feel about these topics.

In 2017, the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Economist conducted a large-scale, international survey to explore the different facets of how individuals view and experience healthcare in the context of serious illness and the end of life. This September, NPHI launched a national survey building on this study to obtain updated insights post-COVID. The initial results show the emergence of three key themes: uncertainty, openness, and trust.

Across demographic groups, the data indicated a general lack of clarity around personal plans, care options, and the system's ability to provide care to the aging population. In addition, most Americans avoid planning, discussing, and even thinking about their personal wishes related to healthcare later in life, yet they agree that such conversations are important. A key factor inhibiting more proactive discussions is lack of trust—the study found that, overall, Americans have little trust in the US healthcare system to provide quality, respectful care at both the individual and systemic level. This report is the first phase of a more robust publication scheduled to launch in the Spring of 2023. Please visit the NPHI website to read the report.

This work was a collaborative effort by NPHI, SIR, and Emergence Creative, with generous funding from StateServ, an NPHI-preferred vendor.

The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) 
https://www.hopsiceinnovations.org 
NPHI is a collaborative of almost 100 not-for-profit, community-integrated hospice and palliative care providers dedicated to ensuring patients and their families have access to care that reflects their individual goals, values, and preferences. Representing providers from 35 states and the District of Columbia, NPHI and its members help design more innovative and effective models of care, advocate for comprehensive and community-integrated care customized to meet each person's unique needs, and build collaboration between national thought leaders, decision-makers, and other healthcare stakeholders to improve hospice care.

About Emergence Creative - https://www.emergence-creative.com/
Emergence is a global creative agency specifically dedicated to creative work that drives social impact. Founded in 2014 and based in New York City, Emergence works with organizations that serve the common good around the world.

About SIR - https://www.sirhq.com/about
SIR is a boutique strategic management consultancy designed and staffed to meet the needs of today's organizations — strategic, seasoned, data-driven, nimble, creative, and results-oriented. Founded in 1964 in Richmond, Virginia, SIR helps companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and communities solve today's problems and plan for tomorrow.

About StateServ - https://www.stateserv.com/    
StateServ delivers a best-in-class durable medical equipment (DME) experience while providing partners with predictable costs and operational ease. StateServ clients get access to a comprehensive network of DME providers and a powerful web-based platform that, when coupled with guidance from expert consulting teams, drives efficiencies and simplifies the DME experience for everyone.

Debra McCarron
410-371-8948
[email protected]

SOURCE National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI)