ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 13, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- In an era of rising
out-of-pocket costs for healthcare, a small but slightly increasing
minority of U.S. adults are opting for expensive invasive cosmetic
treatments that are not always covered by medical insurance,
according to the results of a new Wall Street Journal Online/Harris
Interactive Health-Care Poll. Similar numbers of adults say they
have had invasive (7%) and non-invasive (8%) cosmetic surgery or
other treatments and many of these procedures, regardless of their
invasiveness, appear to be elective rather than medically necessary.
The poll also shows that while the percentage of adults who have
undergone cosmetic surgery or other treatments remains relatively
small, directionally, those who have undergone a treatment are
slightly more likely now than two years ago to report experiencing
problems that required follow-up.
These are some of the results of the online survey of 2,066 U.S.
adults conducted by Harris Interactive® between January 23 and 25,
2006 for the Wall Street Journal Online's Health Industry Edition.
Is there a doctor in the house?
Majorities of those who have undergone a non-invasive treatment
said they had their procedure(s) performed by a medical doctor with
a medical degree or another medical professional. Laser treatments
appear to be the exception to this rule. While two in five adults
who had laser treatment say the procedure was performed by a medical
doctor (22%) or another medical professional (17%), 61 percent say
the procedure was performed by a technician, an increase of 25
percentage points from 2004.(1)
Elective vs. medically necessary procedures
With the exception of bariatric surgery, majorities of those who
have undergone invasive cosmetic surgery or other treatments say
their procedure was elective rather than medically necessary. While
a majority (54%) of those who had bariatric surgery said it was
medically necessary, elective bariatric surgery doubled in
popularity within the past two years, from 23 to 46 percent.(2)
Interestingly, the opposite can be said for liposuction. Electively,
it fell from 96 to 81 percent, yet medically necessary liposuction
increased from four to 19 percent.(3)
Treatment concerns
While a majority of those who have undergone any cosmetic
treatment or other procedure say they were not very (26%) or not at
all (37%) concerned prior to the treatment about the potential risks
or complications, 33 percent say they were somewhat concerned and
nine percent say they were very concerned. These percentages
increase substantially for those who have undergone an invasive
procedure (47% somewhat concerned, 17% very concerned). These
concerns appear to be somewhat warranted as one in 10 (10%) report
experiencing medical problems that required follow-up as a result of
any cosmetic surgery or other treatment they received, up slightly
from seven percent in 2004.
The poll also reveals concerns about treatments that are
conducted by technicians. More than half of adults who have never
had cosmetic surgery or other treatments say they would be somewhat
(24%) or very (32%) concerned about receiving such treatments from
someone other than a medically trained doctor.
Downloadable PDFs of Wall Street Journal Online/Harris
Interactive Health- Care Polls are posted at
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters_wsj.asp.
Methodology:
This poll was conducted online in the United States between
January 23 and 25, 2006 among a nationwide cross section of 2,066
adults aged 18 and over, of whom 332 have had cosmetic surgery
and/or other treatments. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity,
education, income and region were weighted where necessary to align
with population proportions. Propensity score weighting was also
used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. In theory,
with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent
certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or
minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S.
adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling
error for the various sub-samples is higher and varies.
Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in
all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical
calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be
interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, and
weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result
from these factors. This online sample was not a probability sample.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the
National Council on Public Polls.
About the Survey
The Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care
Poll is an exclusive poll that is published in the award-winning
Health Industry Edition of The Wall Street Journal Online at
http://www.wsj.com/health.
About The Wall Street Journal Online
The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com, published by Dow Jones
& Company (NYSE: DJ; www.dowjones.com), is the largest paid
subscription news site on the Web. Launched in 1996, the Online
Journal continues to attract quality subscribers that are at the top
of their industries, with 764,000 subscribers world-wide as of Q3,
2005.
The Online Journal provides in-depth business news and financial
information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with insight and
analysis, including breaking business and technology news and
analysis from around the world. It draws on the Dow Jones network of
more than 1,800 business and financial news staff-the largest
network of business and financial journalists in the world. The
Online Journal also features exclusive content, including
interactive graphics on business and world news, and online-only
columns about the automotive industry, technology, personal finance
and more.
The Online Journal offers three industry-specific verticals: the
award- winning Health, Media & Marketing and now Law. Health offers
authoritative analysis, breaking news and commentary from top
industry journalists. Media & Marketing is designed for
professionals in the advertising, marketing, entertainment and media
industries. Law is designed to provide law firms and attorneys
timely information on events and trends important to the legal
market. Subscribers to all also get access to the full content of
the Online Journal.
In 2005, the Online Journal was awarded a Codie Award for Best
Online News Service for the second consecutive year, and its Health
Industry Edition was awarded Best Online Science or Technology
Service for the third consecutive year. In 2004, the Online Journal
received an EPpy Award for Best Internet Business Service over 1
million monthly visitors.
The Wall Street Journal Online network includes CareerJournal.com,
OpinionJournal.com, StartupJournal.com, RealEstateJournal.com and
CollegeJournal.com.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), based in
Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing
market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris
Poll® and for its pioneering leadership in the online market
research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering
insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company
blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic
consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and
enduring value.
Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United
States, Europe (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/europe) and Asia
offices, its wholly- owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France (www.novatris.com),
and through an independent global network of affiliate market
research companies. EOE M/F/D/V
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited
to participate in future online surveys, go to http://www.harrispollonline.com.
