Health Care Attitudes: How Do The Generations Compare?

21 Mar Health Care Attitudes: How Do The Generations Compare?

Posted at 22:18h in Author Interviews by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Mitch Rothschild

Mitch Rothschild MA, MBA
Co-founder of Vitals

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: There’s so much in the news about health care today. It’s on people’s mind more than ever before due to rising costs and deductibles and, of course, the repeal debate.

With that in mind, we wanted to see how the current landscape affects two things: 1) People’s trust in the health system in general; and 2) Their attitude towards the doctor-patient relationship.

It shouldn’t be surprising that different generations had different perceptions. But we were amazed by how some generational stereotypes held true when it came to doctor-patient relationships and the health care attitudes.

Millennials – Health Care Idealists

Being in their 20s and 30s, Millennials are young and in general a healthy bunch. For the most part, they’ve utilized less health care services than other generations. Only 35 percent have a primary care provider, and one in four say they use an alternative care facility, like an urgent care center, when they are sick.

Often characterized as optimistic and idealistic, those traits may help explain why they have a high degree of trust in the system and in their doctors. They’re the least likely to question their doctor’s authority or their integrity when it comes to fessing up to medical mistakes.

Confident and idealistic, Millennials are often labeled as over-sharers for their habits both on social media and in the real world. But this translates into an open doctor-patient relationship. Millennials are more likely than other generations to say they can tell their doctor “anything.” Perhaps a byproduct of their parents raising them to believe their voice matters, Millennials have an expectation that they can and should engage authority. Yet, that collaborative and open dialogue leads to another positive: They’re the most likely to follow their doctor’s medical advice.

Millennials have grown up as digital natives. As such, they’re the most likely to use online reviews to “check up” on a new doctor. Yet, their familiarity with technology leads them to be the least suspicious of pitfalls. More than other generations, Millennials trust health facilities with their personal health information.

Generation X – Medical Misanthropes

Reaching their late 30s and 40s, Gen Xers are moving into middle life, and many of them are still busy with raising children. Their well-documented skeptical nature extends to how they feel about health care: They don’t trust doctors. And they don’t trust the system.

Once called the slacker generation, as Gen Xers have grown up, they’ve proved to be driven by financial success. That attitude, however, colors how they view motivations within health care. They’re the most likely to believe doctors and facilities care more about money than patient well-being.

Gen Xers have also been characterized as being distrustful of authority. That trait seems to extend to their doctor-patient relationship. They’re more likely to question if “docs really know what their doing” and believe that docs “pretend to know” something when they’re really not sure. They also feel less comfortable opening up fully with their doctors. Poor communication may be what leads Gen Xers to be the least likely to follow through on medical advice. Only 56 percent of them have a primary care provider.

As a generation that came to age during a recession and then weathered the dot-com bust and housing crisis, Gen X is no stranger to disappointment. Unfortunately, their docs have also let them down. One in four say they’ve “lost trust” in a doctor or medical facility in the last two years – more than any other generation.

Baby Boomers – Healthy Skeptics

This large generation is, unfortunately, one of the unhealthiest. According to a study from JAMA Internal Medicine, Baby Boomers have higher rates of chronic disease, more disability and lower self-rated health than members of the previous generation at the same age. Perhaps that’s why 83 percent of them, now in their late 50s and 60s, have a primary doctor they rely on when they’re sick.

Unlike their parents who showed a high degree of deference to authority, Boomers prefer a team approach. This carries over into in how they relate with their doctors. Many of them are comfortable having open, honest communications with their physician and value a doctor who is willing to discuss treatment options with them.

Boomers have certainly adapted to the Internet age, but they still take a traditional approach to finding a doctor. Baby Boomers are the most likely to rely on a doctor recommendation from friends and family members.

Boomers are willing to believe in the altruistic nature of the health care system. They don’t distrust medical facilities to put profits above patient well-being. Notoriously hard-working – they invented the 50-hour work week – Boomers also expect their health care providers to keep up with the latest medical information.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Relationships are extremely meaningful in health care. We know that attitudes patients have towards their doctor can impact their physical health. Health care providers will need to consider a patient’s demographics in order to engage every patient in bettering their health.

Patients are looking for doctors that are collaborative and respect their views. By identifying the preferences and biases in patients, providers can improve lines of communication with patients and forge a better doctor-patient relationship that can lead to better health outcomes.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: We already know that Millennials are tech-savvy, so we’d like to dig deeper to see how they’re contributing to the changing face of health care. How comfortable are they with telemedicine? How much more customer service do they expect from their health care providers? How much do wearables and mobile play a part in their health?

On the flip side, we’d want to take the pulse of providers and understand the divide from their perspective. What generational differences do they encounter as they prescribe care? And are there differences among practitioners from different generations and how they approach patients and care in general?

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