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Company News: TouchPoints

A study of 1,500 Americans earlier this year by Catalyst Healthcare Research  found that most adults who are overweight or obese – even those who are well-educated – say their health is good or excellent.

Other recent studies support our findings.

Preliminary results from a study conducted by Columbia University researchers finds that overweight mothers and their children tend to underestimate their own – and each other’s – weight.

A lot of their misperception has to do with the fact that overweight and obesity are becoming the norm,” said the lead author of the study, Nicole Dumes, M.D.

There was a trend that showed that as women became more and more overweight, and then obese, the larger the misperception of true body weight was,” Dumes said. “Unfortunately we found this was the case with the children as well.”

82% of the obese mothers underestimated their weight. That compares with 43% of the overweight moms and 13% of the normal weight moms.

A different angle was taken by researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. This study found that obese and overweight Hispanic and African American women were significantly more likely than white women to misjudge their weight.

The study, published in the December issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that 25 percent of overweight or obese Hispanic women and 30 percent of African American women misperceived their weight, compared with 15 percent of white women.

As for what to do about the obesity problem, a recent Vanderbilt University poll found little consensus, at least among Tennesseans, other than offering school children free access to fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat milk. The poll found 65 percent of those surveyed strongly supported or somewhat supported that idea, even if it cost taxpayers an extra $50 a year.

However, only 32 percent supported the idea of a tax on junk food similar to those on cigarettes and alcohol, while 58 percent objected to the idea. And only 31 percent supported requiring health insurers to charge higher premiums for policyholders who are overweight or who fail to exercise regularly. In contrast, 56 percent opposed that idea.

The Catalyst Healthcare Research study indicates that obese or overweight people also are not committed to a personal plan of action to tackle the problem.

In our research, more than half the participants said they either don’t exercise at all or merely engage in “naturally occurring exercise,” such as walking up the stairs in their own home.

 

We’re very proud to announce that Karen Stone, marketing vice president of Catalyst Healthcare Research, has been asked to join the board of the Association for Patient Experience, founded this year by Cleveland Clinic.

The Association for Patient Experience is a non-profit group with four objectives:

 

• To seek greater understanding of key drivers contributing to positive patient experience.
• To develop and share creative, sound solutions to common patient experience issues.
• To anticipate the future of healthcare delivery and drive innovative changes in the patient experience.
• To advocate on behalf of patients and families, undeterred by the complexity of improving the healthcare experience.

Presiding over the board is Cleveland Clinic’s Chief Experience Officer Dr. James Merlino. Cleveland Clinic was the first hospital system in America to create the position of Chief Experience Officer. Karen was instrumental in bringing Dr. Merlino to Nashville last fall for a presentation to the Healthcare Special Interest Group of NAMA, the Nashville Chapter of the American Marketing Association. (CHR President Dan Prince interviewed Dr. Merlino after the presentation.  You can see the interview videos here and here.) 

AMA (American Marketing Association) and NAMA honors for Karen Stone

Karen also recently received honors locally and nationally from the American Marketing Association (AMA).The Nashville chapter, NAMA, awarded Karen the Distinguished Marketer-NAMA Champion award. Karen was president of NAMA in 2006-07, a year of important growth for the chapter. She was Programming Chair for the chapter before that and has since served, with CHR President Dan Prince, as co-chair of NAMA’s Healthcare Special Interest Group.

Karen’s contribution to the Nashville Chapter was recognized at the national AMA level when Karen was asked to join the AMA’s Professional Chapters Council (PCC). Standout presidents from chapters across the country serve on the PCC. Karen has been part of the PCC since 2009 and, as of July 1, assumed the position of President-Elect. She will be President of the PCC in 2012-13.

Needless to say, we at CHR are very proud of Karen. And as long-time NAMA and AMA members and supporters, we appreciate her contributions to the marketing profession in our community. 

Sheila King, Research Director 

Sheila King brings 20 years of research experience to Catalyst Healthcare Research. She was formerly with Outsell, Inc., where she designed, executed and managed research studies for clients. Her experience ranges from quantitative studies to qualitative focus groups and interviews with consumers and all levels of professionals. She was a Research Analyst at ADT Automotive and the M/A/R/C Group.

Sheila received her Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and her Bachelor of Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University. She completed the Principles of Marketing Research certificate program through the University of Georgia and earned Professional Researcher Certification at the Expert level from the Marketing Research Association (MRA). 

Magdalena Dutkiewicz Vaughan, Research Associate 

Magdalena Vaughan was previously with The Buntin Group where, as a research coordinator, she managed, collected and interpreted data to provide insights informing business strategies.  Magdalena has been in the market research field for four years, coordinating various aspects of qualitative and quantitative research projects. 

Magdalena earned her Bachelor of Arts in Experimental and Behavioral Psychology from The University of Memphis. She was recently appointed Research Chair-Elect for the Nashville American Marketing Association 2011-2012 year. 

In the largest study to date on patient experience, 86% of hospital executives said they were optimistic about the progress being made toward improving the patient experience.

The study, which included the views of 790 hospital leaders, was commissioned by The Beryl Institute and carried out by Catalyst Healthcare Research.  Results were released during The Beryl Institute's 2011 Patient Experience Conference in Dallas on April 13th.  The Beryl Institute is a membership organization dedicated to improving the experience patients and caregivers have in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

"Results from the study, whose respondents came from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, provide an important baseline for understanding what is actually taking place in American hospitals around the issue of patient experience," said Dan Prince, president of Catalyst Healthcare Research.

Highlights from the study include:

• Hospital leaders say that Patient Experience is one of their top three priorities, up there with quality, safety, and financial performance.
• Around one half of all hospitals or systems have designated an individual to be the lead for improving patient experience; while four in ten (42%) placed that accountability with a multi-disciplinary team or committee.

• The key driver of success is strong, visible support from the top of the organization, followed by clinical managers who visibly support patient experience improvement.

• Certain activities, such as new staff training programs and service recovery programs, appear to be underway at most hospitals in the U.S.
• In terms of improving patient satisfaction, hospitals are focusing on a number of tactical improvements including reducing noise, improving staff responsiveness to patient calls and requests, and strengthening the discharge process.

The 33-question survey was conducted online between March 7 and March 23, 2011 using a national list of hospital executives.  A total of 790 hospital leaders participated, representing 660 different hospitals.  The margin of error for overall results is +/- 3.6% at a 95% confidence level. 

 

A recent state-wide study of Tennesseans revealed that over 60% favor limiting "pain and suffering" payouts when doctors or hospitals are sued for medical malpractice.  This suggests grass-roots support for a tort reform bill currently pending in the Tennessee state legislature. 

"This survey is a fair snapshot of adults in our state, and it shows most of our citizens understand how high jury awards - or the threat of them - affect rising healthcare costs and their access to their doctor," said Tennessee Medical Association president-elect Michael Minch, M.D.

The study, which was commissioned by the Tennessee Medical Association and conducted by Catalyst Healthcare Research was done in March and included a total of 620 Tennessee residents.  The margin of error for overall results is +/- 4% at a 95% confidence level.

"Interestingly, support for tort reform actually increases 72% as age goes up," said Dan Prince, president of Catalyst Healthcare Research.  "Since older Americans tend to consume most of the medical resources, some people will be surprised by this finding."

The state-wide study also found:

• 90 percent of Tennesseans said that they were "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about doctors leaving the state or closing their practice due to the high costs of medical malpractice insurance or fear of lawsuits.
• 88 percent are concerned about the shrinking number of obstetricians due to the high price of medical malpractice insurance.
• 63 percent feel that increasing medical costs are being driven by "defensive medicine" as doctors order extra and sometimes unnecessary tests to protect themselves against being sued. 

For more details on the survey, click here.

At Catalyst Healthcare Research, we are making an effort to fight the increasing trend of childhood obesity.  More than 12.5 million children and adolescents in the U.S. are overweight.  As they grow older, the risk for cardiovascular diseases and type II diabetes increases.  Did you know that 1 in 3 children in the United States face a future with diabetes? 

We've teamed up with the American Diabetes Association to combat this disease. Please join us on November 6th as we participate in our 3rd Step Out:  Walk to Fight Diabetes.  Our goal is 20 walkers and $1,000.  Help us reach our goal and make a difference in the lives of 23.6 million Americans affected by diabetes.  Join our team, or if you cannot participate, please make a donation to support our cause. 

Dan Prince, President of Catalyst HCR is pleased to announce the promotion of Karen Stone to the position of Vice President of Marketing.  Stone, formerly Director of Marketing, will oversee strategic positioning and product development efforts as well as lead the company’s expansion into new markets. In her position as director of marketing, Stone spearheaded the launch of CHR in 2008 and served as the brand manager while driving several key product development initiatives. She also brings an impressive track record of volunteer marketing experience to her new position having served as president of the Nashville American Marketing Association, leading the chapter to receive national recognition as a chapter of excellence.  Most recently, she was appointed to the AMA’s Professional Chapters Council, a national board which oversees 75 chapters across in the U.S. and Canada.  Stone is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and holds a degree in Communications.  She earned her Professional Researcher Certification through the Marketing Research Association in 2008.  Prior to joining PMR and CHR, Stone worked as a broadcast journalist for the NewsChannel 5 Network in Nashville.

Catalyst Healthcare Research president Dan Prince was a guest speaker at the Marketing Research Association's national conference in Atlanta, October 24-26. Mr. Prince discussed the power of research-based ad campaigns showcasing work for HCA TriStar client, Parkridge East Hospital.

This presentation addressed the critical importance of bringing the “Voice of the Customer” into the healthcare marketing mix, and how research firms can successfully work with the client and the client’s ad agency to create highly effective marketing campaigns. Pat Holloway, Director of Marketing for Parkridge East, co-presented with Mr. Prince to reveal the return on investment the hospital is receiving from the research.

MRA is a professional organization that advances, protects and promotes, knowledge, standards, excellence, ethics, professional development and innovation, for the global market and opinion research profession. Visit www.mra-net.org to learn more.

Every organization needs a "cause".  Something to fight for, something to believe in, a way to evoke change - which is what Catalyst Healthcare Research is all about.

We have chosen childhood obesity which leads to many health problems, especially type II diabetes.  We believe that prevention and wellness are key.  Teaching children the importance of physical activity and healthy eating is critical in order to combat the growing trend of childhood obesity.  Did you know that more than 12.5 million children and adolescents - 17.1 percent of people ages 2 to 19 years - are overweight?  As they grow older, the risk for cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type II diabetes increases.

Join Catalyst Healthcare Research and the Nashville American Diabetes Association as we "Step Out" to fight diabetes on Saturday, October 11th, 8:30 at the Nashville Zoo.  Or if you can't join us, please support our team as we raise money.  

Catalyst Healthcare Research and HealthSpring, one of the nation's largest Medicare plans for seniors, are teaming up speak at the 2008 national conference of the Marketing Research Association.  The June conference, held in NYC this year, brings together professional researchers and end users from around the world for three days of professional development and networking.

Catalyst HCR President, Dan Prince and HealthSpring VP of Strategic Intiatives, Mike O'Neil will show how a "experiential research" is helping HealthSpring break new ground in the healthcare industry.  Conference attendees will see how this inventive approach to focus group research brought the customer into the service delivery setting and validated an inventive idea that is transforming the way seniors receive healthcare.

• Prince Market Research Spins Off Healthcare Division - NBJ
• Businesswire.com