Healthcare Innovation Topic of Concern Among U.S. Respondents

According to the New England Healthcare Institute's 2012 Innovation Barometer report, innovation in healthcare is a topic of concern among survey respondents.  This report is based on a study of 500 U.S. opinion leaders in March 2012.  

Forty-nine percent of respondents have a negative view of the United States healthcare system. From the report, “Opinion leaders have mixed evaluations for the current U.S. healthcare system; they overwhelmingly agree that soaring costs are putting America’s healthcare at risk and that controlling these costs is an important goal for balancing the federal budget and improving the U.S. economy.”

To make the healthcare industry more efficient on a broad level, 41 percent of survey respondents believe providing access to healthcare for all Americans is the most important innovative solution. Lowering the overall cost of healthcare (16 percent), helping people live healthier lives (15 percent), increasing research to discover new treatments (11 percent), preparing for an increased number of elderly people (8 percent), and improving care for patients with cancer and chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease (6 percent) are also innovative solutions indicated by respondents. 

The U.S. healthcare system has a negative reputation among the general public, as the report findings illustrate. Therefore, healthcare innovation strategies should be put into place to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

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