Infographic: State of the Consumer Healthcare Experience

On-demand healthcare company Accolade has just released a new infographic that illustrates how consumers are making health-related decisions. The infographic, called the Consumer Healthcare Experience Index, is based on a survey of 1,536 Americans with health insurance.

The survey revealed that nearly a third of all respondents (32%) are uncomfortable navigating medical benefits and the healthcare system. In fact, more people were uncomfortable navigating their own health insurance than they were buying a home or a car.

Based on survey responses, Accolade identified three main factors that make navigating the healthcare system difficult: coordinating various aspects of care, understanding healthcare costs, and comprehending healthcare benefits.

When asked what could improve their healthcare experience, the majority of respondents (47%) said that having a single, trusted person available to answer any health-related questions would make navigating the healthcare system that much easier.

An additional 24% of respondents said that having access to individualized healthcare management programs would improve their healthcare experience. Another 20% said that having either their employer or HR answer healthcare benefit questions would be helpful. Lastly, a small but significant portion (13%) of respondents wanted digital and/or mobile apps to assist them in making healthcare decisions.

Other interesting statistics include the fact that 75% of survey takers said that it would be helpful if their healthcare providers took the time to understand their personal life instead of just focusing on their medical issues. Only 16% said that their providers currently do this. This information has proven to be invaluable at a time when healthcare providers are focusing on improving patient satisfaction ratings.

Accolade is a McKesson Ventures portfolio company.

This article and infographic originally appeared on the Health Information Network website.