The survey was developed last fall and was conducted from January to May of this year. Highlighted below are five key findings on hospitals’ population health structure.
1. A majority (85 percent) of hospitals reported they have a strong or total commitment to population health or have the phrase “population health” in their organization’s vision statement.
2. The top two ways hospitals define their “population” are the patients that utilize their health system (70 percent) or their geographic service area (69 percent). Respondents were given four population health definitions and the option “other” from which to choose. They could pick more than one definition.
3. More than 90 percent of hospitals agreed or strongly agreed that population health was aligned with their organization’s mission.
4. Despite the enthusiasm expressed over population health, few hospitals (19 percent) report that they actually have the financial resources available for such initiatives.
5. Also, less than 20 percent strongly agreed that their hospital has programs to address socioeconomic determinants of health.
To see the full summary of survey findings, click here.
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