Boomers want specialized healthcare

UTICA, N.Y., April 29 (UPI) -- Eighty-eight percent of baby boomers say it's important to have physicians with specialized training geared toward older patients, a U.S. survey indicates.

However, most boomers say they can't find such a doctor and 26 percent of women say they believe their health may have suffered because their physician did not have such expertise, the survey by Zogby International says.

The first annual Senior Health Index says 50 percent of consumers age 55 and older feel they are the ones most able to improve the quality of their care beyond its current level.

One in three respondents said they need more help with their healthcare decisions and 71 percent said they want to be able to find more information about their own healthcare.

Fifty-five percent of the respondents ages 55 to 64 said they believe the country at large does not understand or care about the health challenges senior citizens face, while 40 percent of those age 65 and older said the same.

The portion of the survey that included 610 respondents ages 55 to 64 has a margin of error of plus/minus 4.1 percentage points. The portion that included 2,500 respondents age 65 and older has a margin of error of plus/minus 2 percentage points.