We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Most Britons Do Not Trust Their Local Doctor

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 17 Jan 2013
Print article
Nearly two-thirds of Britons no longer trust their doctor, while and one in 10 rush to the emergency room (ER) for treatment when a visit to the doctor would suffice, according to a recent survey.

The OnePoll survey by SAS (Cary, NC, USA), a world leader in business analytics software and services, polled 2,000 people on their healthcare perceptions. The results showed that Britons have to wait days for appointments, perceiving that doctors are often trying to rush them out of the surgery, which has resulted in nearly a third of the public now having a “hospital only” mentality, feeling they would get more attention if they went straight to ER, no matter what the ailment. A similar proportion stated they have to wait too long to see a doctor unless they claimed the matter was an emergency.

For nonurgent ailments, most Britons are prepared to wait up to five days for a doctor's appointment, but respondents said the average wait was up to two weeks. The survey also showed the influence the Internet is having on self-diagnosis. Over 40% use Internet searches to first try and establish what it is wrong before contacting their doctor or going to the ER. However, 11% of those surveyed said they called an ambulance to take them to an ER when a doctor's appointment would have sufficed, and 35% are not even registered with a general practitioner (GP).

This mindset is particularly strong among 18-24 year olds, where more than a quarter of respondents stated they would rush to ER rather than waiting for a doctor's appointment, with one in five confirming they have called upon ambulances unnecessarily, and two in five yet to register with their local GP. The most common ailments Britons would rush straight to the ER for, rather than going to the doctor, include broken limbs (68%), anything unbearable (27%), twisted wrists or ankles (23%), unusual skin rashes (14%), and high temperature (6%).

“Britons are experiencing up to a two-week wait to see a doctor, making patients head to A&E unnecessarily,” said David Downing, director of health at SAS UK. “This is not only contributing to rising admission rates but creating a 'hospital only' mentality in the UK, especially among the younger generation. By harnessing big data through analytics, the health service could identify the underlying factors contributing to higher admission rates, and reveal new insights and patterns to help improve patient service.”

Related Links:

SAS


Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
Gold Member
Real-Time Diagnostics Onscreen Viewer
GEMweb Live
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
EEG System
BRAIN QUICK

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: The permeable wearable electronics developed for long-term biosignal monitoring (Photo courtesy of CityUHK)

Super Permeable Wearable Electronics Enable Long-Term Biosignal Monitoring

Wearable electronics have become integral to enhancing health and fitness by offering continuous tracking of physiological signals over extended periods. This monitoring is crucial for understanding an... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: NTT and Olympus have begun the world\'s first joint demonstration experiment of a cloud endoscopy system (Photo courtesy of Olympus)

Cloud Endoscopy System Enables Real-Time Image Processing on the Cloud

Endoscopes, which are flexible tubes inserted into the body's natural openings for internal examination and biopsy collection, are becoming increasingly vital in medical diagnostics. Their minimal invasiveness... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The PATHFAST hs-cTnI-II high-sensitivity troponin assay has been developed for the PATHFAST Biomarker Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Polymedco)

POC Myocardial Infarction Test Delivers Results in 17 Minutes

Chest pain is the second leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits by adults in the United States, generating over 7 million visits annually. In the event of a suspected heart attack, physicians... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.