New research into cardiovascular patient satisfaction reveals key challenges

In its third year, Abbott’s Beyond Interventioninitiative provides continued insight into the state of global cardiovascular care through primary research surveying the perspectives of approximately 2,000 patients, physicians, and healthcare leaders

Abbott has released the latest installment in the company’s multi-year Beyond Intervention series of global healthcare market research designed to uncover challenges that arise within the patient journey of people living with cardiovascular disease and to identify opportunities for patient care improvement.

The latest report stems from a survey of more than 2,000 patients, physicians, and healthcare leaders, and reveals challenges resulting from a systemic lack of adoption of consumer technologies by healthcare providers, a lack of post-surgical therapy compliance, and consumer dissatisfaction beyond intervention.

Findings from Beyond Intervention identify key opportunities physicians, healthcare leaders, and health technology companies may consider improving the patient care journey. These include providing a comprehensive care experience to increase patient satisfaction, reducing barriers to post-intervention care, driving better experiences and outcomes, and involving patients in shared decision-making. The report underscores the differences in how patients, physicians, and healthcare leaders perceive the effectiveness of technology in the care delivery system.

Nick West, Chief Medical Officer and Divisional Vice President-Medical Affairs, Abbott’s vascular business said, “Increased penetration of smart devices, wearables, and remote self-monitoring tools not only provide granular data on recovery, progress, and adherence but critically drive patient engagement and therefore behavioral change. MedTech’s role is to find synergies between how patients and physicians prefer to access information to facilitate positive experiences and outcomes for all patients.”

Dr Rony Mathew, Head of Department-Cardiology, Lisie Hospital, Kochi said, “Patients and physicians continue to value personal interactions. For integrating technology into the care continuum, we need to go beyond and focus on how that technology works for us to combat an unmet need. It’s important to see how that tech provides insights into a patient’s current condition and enables them and their physicians to devise personalised plans for optimal and better care.”

Key research findings:

• Patients, physicians, and healthcare leaders agree that establishing multiple touchpoints help patients navigate their post-procedure care journey. Further, patient satisfaction is based on their comprehensive care experience, beyond the intervention. Most patients surveyed (over 90 per cent) believe that the two most important factors in navigating their care journey are having a clear understanding of the next steps in managing their disease and having all of their questions answered.
• Patients are facing many barriers to managing their condition and experiencing optimal care post-intervention. Nearly half of the patients surveyed reported finding motivation and time to manage their condition was challenging. A similar proportion described ongoing costs related to treatment as a difficult task. A troubling lack of education and awareness regarding the progressive nature of the atherosclerotic vascular disease (CAD and PAD) is also a significant barrier to post-procedural patient care and adherence globally. Interestingly, in India, patients are more likely to understand that CAD/PAD (coronary artery disease/peripheral artery disease) is a progressive/lifelong condition than patients in other markets surveyed.

1. More than half of the surveyed patients were interested in continuing to use telemedicine and wearable health trackers – some of which may automatically send their health information to physicians. Indian patients (72 per cent) are 38 per cent more likely to be interested in using telemedicine than global patients (52 per cent). 80 per cent of Indian healthcare leaders are also interested (compared to 72 per cent of global) in telemedicine.
2. Many patients see technology’s value in managing their health and wellness. Nearly 68 per cent of patients are 39 per cent more likely than global patients (49 per cent) to be interested in using wearable health trackers that passively measure health vitals and automatically send this information to physicians. Indian healthcare leaders (77 per cent) are 43 per cent more likely than global healthcare leaders (54 per cent) to be interested in using wearable health trackers that automatically send information to the physician(s).

Jennifer McCaney, Executive Director, UCLA Biodesign said, “Those who work at the intersection of healthcare and technology must straddle the digital divide and work toward greater use of technology in care. We cannot assume that every person or patient has the access to or the means to interact with health systems or care teams in the same way. Stakeholders across the care journey from product manufacturers to payers and providers alike need to empower patients with accessible technologies that better the patient experience.”