Kentuckians Don't Like Talking With Docs Online

Poll data released Thursday by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Interact for Health reveal the majority of Kentucky adults (73%) have not communicated electronically with their physician during the past year.  Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) data also show most Kentuckians feel fairly confident that they could find information about what they would be charged for healthcare.

“Doing care differently is a phrase we’ve coined at the Foundation to refer to the transformation taking place in our healthcare system. This poll shows most Kentucky patients and providers are not yet using technology to increase communications in their healthcare relationships,” said Susan Zepeda, President/CEO of the Foundation for a Health Kentucky.  

KHIP highlights include:

•    Nearly eight in ten (79%) Kentucky adults who earn less than 200% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) had no electronic communications with their doctor in the past year while 66% of those who earn more than 200% FPL had no electronic communications.
•    The use of electronic communications differ greatly among different regions of Kentucky:  53% of those in Northern Kentucky did not connect with their physicians electronically during the past year while 80% of those in western Kentucky did not have electronic communications with their physician.  
•    More than one in three (36%) Kentucky adults said they were either extremely or very confident they could find information about health care charges; another 34% were moderately confident they could do so.

KHIP findings on electronic communication in Kentucky were similar to those nationally.  The 2013 Health Information National Trends Survey reported 7 in 10 U.S. adults (70%) have had no electronic communication with their doctor.   There are no national comparisons available for this year’s cost information question.  “With nearly a third of Kentuckians reporting difficulty paying a medical bill in the past year and more than 2 in 10 delaying or omitting care due to cost,” Zepeda added, “it’s crucial that all have access to comprehensive, factual information on healthcare costs.”

KHIP was funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Cincinnati-based Interact for Health.  The poll was conducted October 8, 2014—November 6, 2014, by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati.  A random sample of 1,597 adults from throughout Kentucky was interviewed by telephone, including landlines and cell phones.  The poll has a margin of error of ±2.5%.