CVS Health study: COVID-19 helped patients take greater control of their health
Unfortunately, few sought mental health services for pandemic-related struggles.
Looking for silver linings in the COVID-19 cloud? A new study by CVS Health® reveals that patients are seeking new ways to engage with health care and achieve a more individualized experience.
The 2021 Health Care Insights Study (formerly known as the Path to Better Health Study) surveyed 1,000 consumers and 400 providers about the state of health care and how they’re navigating the evolving landscape. Many respondents used the past year to work on their health goals and reexamine their priorities.
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In fact, 77% of respondents said the pandemic has led them to pay more attention to their health in general, while 50% indicated previous stay-at-home orders helped them achieve their health goals. Additionally, routine care from primary care providers (PCPs) has dropped since last year (56% vs. 62% in 2020), and use of online resources (19% vs. 12% in 2020), community health centers (19% vs 15% in 2020), and local pharmacies (17% vs. 11% in 2020) have all grown in preference.
“Over the past year and a half, we have witnessed a dramatic shift in consumer health care preferences and needs,” CVS Health president and chief executive officer Karen S. Lynch said in a statement. “These shifts toward personalized care have the potential to impact our health care system well past the pandemic, with many people taking a more engaged approach to their own health. Going forward, we have an opportunity to take what we’ve learned and continue to foster an integrated health model that is centered around the needs of the individual.”
Unfortunately, the study also found that many people struggle with pandemic-related social isolation and economic uncertainty, and substance use (nicotine, alcohol, opioids) is up among some populations.
What’s more, young adults ages 18-34 were most impacted by the pandemic and the most likely age group to report depression (35%) and a higher rate of mental illness (28%). Despite all this, 74% of respondents did not seek mental health services — citing cost concerns as a primary reason.
Here are three other highlights from the study:
Virtual care tools are surging.
More than half of consumers (57%) indicated they had used virtual care for a health care visit. Providers also indicated that having access to virtual visits (72%), and telehealth (71%) would be very or somewhat valuable for their patients in terms of communication.
Men and women interact with health care differently.
More women than men (27% vs. 21%) use nurse practitioners to obtain any type of health information, and more women want their PCPs to be aware of their lifestyle choices — specifically their alcohol use — compared to men (86% vs. 79%).
Providers can help increase health care financial literacy.
More than half of consumers (61%) said their providers have not asked about the affordability of health care and/or discussed resources to assist with costs. One quarter (25%) of respondents said they had low to no familiarity with the out-of-pocket costs they pay for medical care. Another 23% said they do not understand how to look at their health plan to understand out-of-pocket costs.
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