by Amy Norton, Healthday Reporter
But experts question whether people responding to Harris/HealthDay poll understand broader impact.
(HealthDay)—Many Americans say they'd submit to insurance company medical tests and lifestyle monitoring in exchange for lower-cost premiums, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll finds.
The poll of more than 2,000 adults found that a majority would be "very willing" to have various tests and share the results with their health insurer—provided there was a financial incentive, such as a lower monthly premium or smaller co-pays.
Many were even open to intrusive measures. Just over half said they'd agree to let their health plan monitor any exercise regimen they were using to lose excess pounds or control diabetes.
What's more, nearly half said they'd undergo genetic tests to gauge their risks of "cancer or inherited medical conditions."
"That's kind of shocking," said Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, an assistant professor of medicine and medical ethics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
There is nothing "inherently wrong" with offering people financial incentives aimed at improving their health and reining in health care costs, Blumenthal-Barby said. But divulging your risk of potentially developing a disease at some point in the future is another matter.
"You have to wonder to what extent people understand the implications of that," Blumenthal-Barby said. Privacy has been a long-time concern with genetic testing, because employers or insurers could potentially discriminate against people at increased risk of a given disease.
Of course, survey respondents' answers to theoretical questions need to be taken with a grain of salt. In real life, people might not be so quick to have genetic testing, Blumenthal-Barby added.
But, she said, the poll results raise concerns about how informed people are when it comes to genetic testing and privacy.
In recent years, many U.S. companies that provide health insurance to their employees have started offering financial incentives. Workers who undergo blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar tests, or who join an exercise or disease-management program, can get a break on what they pay into their insurance. Some employers also base the financial reward on the results of those tests.
In the new survey, most people were open to those simpler types of tests: Three-quarters said they'd have a blood pressure check, while 68 percent were willing to undergo blood sugar or cholesterol tests.
But fewer were willing to have their lifestyle choices scrutinized for a financial reward.
Just over half said they'd take part in a health plan-monitored exercise regimen to lose weight or control diabetes. And only about 38 percent would follow a specific diet to help lower their blood pressure or cholesterol.
"This survey shows that there is a substantial opportunity for health plans to test and monitor the health status and health risk behaviors of health plan members, but that they would have to be extremely careful to avoid a potentially explosive backlash," said Harris Poll Chairman Humphrey Taylor.
Blumenthal-Barby agreed on the need for a cautious deployment of financial incentives. "We need to make sure that incentives do not become coercive," she said.
Taylor pointed out that "all such monitoring and testing would have to be, and be seen to be, strictly voluntary. Any suggestion that pressure was being put on people to participate would be disastrous."
According to Blumenthal-Barby, one of the striking findings from the poll was that while 49 percent of people were "very willing" to undergo genetic tests, only 28 percent would attend a health class or keep an online diet-and-exercise diary.
"People would rather have genetic tests than keep a diary," she said.
That could be because a blood test sounds much easier, or because people often believe they are unlikely to have any "bad" genes, Blumenthal-Barby noted. But again, she said, the results suggest that many people do not grasp the full implications of giving away genetic information.
The poll, which surveyed 2,033 Americans online between Oct. 21-23, asked about hypothetical situations—what people "would" do if a health plan were to offer incentives for various tests.
Blumenthal-Barby said she wasn't aware of any employers or insurers currently offering incentives in exchange for genetic tests—which, in addition to being intrusive, are costly.
But she said that when people do get real offers of financial reward in exchange for medical tests, they should make sure they understand the deal.
"I don't think incentives are 'bad,'" Blumenthal-Barby said. "If the aim is to help you be healthier and cut down on overall health care costs, they could be good."
But, she added, "people may just think about the money. They need to be a little cautious and read the fine print, too."
Explore further: A 'nudge' can be the ethical choice
More information: There's more on medical privacy issues at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For more about the poll and Harris Interactive click here.
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
A 'nudge' can be the ethical choice
Feb 04, 2013
As patients and physicians share decision-making in choices among treatment options, decision aids such as videos, websites, pamphlets or books are coming to play an important role. However, in some cases, it may be ethical ...
Employer-based health insurance premiums rose modestly in 2013
Sep 02, 2013
(HealthDay)—Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums rose only modestly in 2013, according to research published in the August issue of Health Affairs.
Lots of Americans want health care via their smartphone
Jun 18, 2013
(HealthDay)—Plenty of Americans are eager to use their mobile phones and tablet computers to better manage their health care, a new poll finds—though the nation has a way to go before we're all consulting ...
Soaring prices, not demand, behind massive hike in US health spending
22 hours ago
(HealthDay)—Contrary to popular belief, the biggest reason for the rise in U.S. health care spending is not an aging population or patient demand but rather the increasing costs of drugs, procedures and ...
Confusion still surrounds ACA health insurance exchanges
Oct 08, 2013
(HealthDay)—Much confusion still exists surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care insurance exchanges, which opened on Oct. 1, according to an article published online Sept. 30 in Medical Ec ...
Recommended for you
CVI puts research into practice on firearms and domestic violence
56 minutes ago
The Crime Victims' Institute (CVI) at Sam Houston State University initiated a new series of reports to help victim advocates translate the latest research in the field into practical services and resources for victims, beginning ...
Menstrual cycle influences concussion outcomes
1 hour ago
How well a woman recovers from a concussion may depend on that time of the month.
Schools help kids choose carrots over candy bars
1 hour ago
When schools adopt healthful nutrition policies and practices, kids' diets improve.
Study finds gymnasts' face high exposure to flame retardants
1 hour ago
Competitive gymnasts have a higher exposure to potentially harmful flame-retardants than the general population, likely because such contaminants are present in foam used in gym equipment, a study led by Boston University ...
Students advised to sleep it off
2 hours ago
Sleepless schoolies are being urged to take a nap or sleep-in when the party dies down, with new QUT research revealing young people are "significantly" riskier when tired.
Smart jacket for premature babies
3 hours ago
Together with the Máxima Medical Center (MMC), Eindhoven University of Technology has developed a prototype wireless 'baby jacket' for very premature babies in intensive care units. The jacket, which includes monitoring ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2013, Phys.org network
by Amy Norton, Healthday Reporter
But experts question whether people responding to Harris/HealthDay poll understand broader impact.
(HealthDay)—Many Americans say they'd submit to insurance company medical tests and lifestyle monitoring in exchange for lower-cost premiums, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll finds.
The poll of more than 2,000 adults found that a majority would be "very willing" to have various tests and share the results with their health insurer—provided there was a financial incentive, such as a lower monthly premium or smaller co-pays.
Many were even open to intrusive measures. Just over half said they'd agree to let their health plan monitor any exercise regimen they were using to lose excess pounds or control diabetes.
What's more, nearly half said they'd undergo genetic tests to gauge their risks of "cancer or inherited medical conditions."
"That's kind of shocking," said Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, an assistant professor of medicine and medical ethics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
There is nothing "inherently wrong" with offering people financial incentives aimed at improving their health and reining in health care costs, Blumenthal-Barby said. But divulging your risk of potentially developing a disease at some point in the future is another matter.
"You have to wonder to what extent people understand the implications of that," Blumenthal-Barby said. Privacy has been a long-time concern with genetic testing, because employers or insurers could potentially discriminate against people at increased risk of a given disease.
Of course, survey respondents' answers to theoretical questions need to be taken with a grain of salt. In real life, people might not be so quick to have genetic testing, Blumenthal-Barby added.
But, she said, the poll results raise concerns about how informed people are when it comes to genetic testing and privacy.
In recent years, many U.S. companies that provide health insurance to their employees have started offering financial incentives. Workers who undergo blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar tests, or who join an exercise or disease-management program, can get a break on what they pay into their insurance. Some employers also base the financial reward on the results of those tests.
In the new survey, most people were open to those simpler types of tests: Three-quarters said they'd have a blood pressure check, while 68 percent were willing to undergo blood sugar or cholesterol tests.
But fewer were willing to have their lifestyle choices scrutinized for a financial reward.
Just over half said they'd take part in a health plan-monitored exercise regimen to lose weight or control diabetes. And only about 38 percent would follow a specific diet to help lower their blood pressure or cholesterol.
"This survey shows that there is a substantial opportunity for health plans to test and monitor the health status and health risk behaviors of health plan members, but that they would have to be extremely careful to avoid a potentially explosive backlash," said Harris Poll Chairman Humphrey Taylor.
Blumenthal-Barby agreed on the need for a cautious deployment of financial incentives. "We need to make sure that incentives do not become coercive," she said.
Taylor pointed out that "all such monitoring and testing would have to be, and be seen to be, strictly voluntary. Any suggestion that pressure was being put on people to participate would be disastrous."
According to Blumenthal-Barby, one of the striking findings from the poll was that while 49 percent of people were "very willing" to undergo genetic tests, only 28 percent would attend a health class or keep an online diet-and-exercise diary.
"People would rather have genetic tests than keep a diary," she said.
That could be because a blood test sounds much easier, or because people often believe they are unlikely to have any "bad" genes, Blumenthal-Barby noted. But again, she said, the results suggest that many people do not grasp the full implications of giving away genetic information.
The poll, which surveyed 2,033 Americans online between Oct. 21-23, asked about hypothetical situations—what people "would" do if a health plan were to offer incentives for various tests.
Blumenthal-Barby said she wasn't aware of any employers or insurers currently offering incentives in exchange for genetic tests—which, in addition to being intrusive, are costly.
But she said that when people do get real offers of financial reward in exchange for medical tests, they should make sure they understand the deal.
"I don't think incentives are 'bad,'" Blumenthal-Barby said. "If the aim is to help you be healthier and cut down on overall health care costs, they could be good."
But, she added, "people may just think about the money. They need to be a little cautious and read the fine print, too."
Explore further: A 'nudge' can be the ethical choice
More information: There's more on medical privacy issues at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For more about the poll and Harris Interactive click here.
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
A 'nudge' can be the ethical choice
Feb 04, 2013
As patients and physicians share decision-making in choices among treatment options, decision aids such as videos, websites, pamphlets or books are coming to play an important role. However, in some cases, it may be ethical ...
Employer-based health insurance premiums rose modestly in 2013
Sep 02, 2013
(HealthDay)—Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums rose only modestly in 2013, according to research published in the August issue of Health Affairs.
Lots of Americans want health care via their smartphone
Jun 18, 2013
(HealthDay)—Plenty of Americans are eager to use their mobile phones and tablet computers to better manage their health care, a new poll finds—though the nation has a way to go before we're all consulting ...
Soaring prices, not demand, behind massive hike in US health spending
22 hours ago
(HealthDay)—Contrary to popular belief, the biggest reason for the rise in U.S. health care spending is not an aging population or patient demand but rather the increasing costs of drugs, procedures and ...
Confusion still surrounds ACA health insurance exchanges
Oct 08, 2013
(HealthDay)—Much confusion still exists surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care insurance exchanges, which opened on Oct. 1, according to an article published online Sept. 30 in Medical Ec ...
Recommended for you
CVI puts research into practice on firearms and domestic violence
56 minutes ago
The Crime Victims' Institute (CVI) at Sam Houston State University initiated a new series of reports to help victim advocates translate the latest research in the field into practical services and resources for victims, beginning ...
Menstrual cycle influences concussion outcomes
1 hour ago
How well a woman recovers from a concussion may depend on that time of the month.
Schools help kids choose carrots over candy bars
1 hour ago
When schools adopt healthful nutrition policies and practices, kids' diets improve.
Study finds gymnasts' face high exposure to flame retardants
1 hour ago
Competitive gymnasts have a higher exposure to potentially harmful flame-retardants than the general population, likely because such contaminants are present in foam used in gym equipment, a study led by Boston University ...
Students advised to sleep it off
2 hours ago
Sleepless schoolies are being urged to take a nap or sleep-in when the party dies down, with new QUT research revealing young people are "significantly" riskier when tired.
Smart jacket for premature babies
3 hours ago
Together with the Máxima Medical Center (MMC), Eindhoven University of Technology has developed a prototype wireless 'baby jacket' for very premature babies in intensive care units. The jacket, which includes monitoring ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2013, Phys.org network
No comments:
Post a Comment