Do Americans trust their doctors?

A new survey has revealed, despite increased anxieties related to their health, Americans are feeling more confident consulting their doctor about their fears.

The third annual poll of 2,000 nationally represented U.S. adults asked respondents to share their thoughts, feelings and behaviors as they relate to the healthcare industry.

Results found 42% of Americans have a persistent anxiety that they have some undiagnosed health condition.

However, people are showing less fear talking about their health condition concerns with a doctor year-over-year — this year, 25% admitted they are afraid to talk to their healthcare provider about their conditions and symptoms; a major decrease from 2023 (46%) and 2022 (51%).

The survey, commissioned by PatientPoint and conducted by Talker Research, found a third of Americans have seen the level of trust in their healthcare provider increase over the past year.

Yet the increased trust in doctors themselves hasn’t entirely erased the inherent fear related to visiting a doctor’s office. In fact, over half (54%) said they feel a sense of anxiety before their doctor’s appointments — an upward trend from 39% in 2022 and 48% in 2023.

When asked why, respondents said they’re concerned about being judged (37%), not being able to afford treatment or medications (29%) or being referred to a specialist (29%).

The study found 82% of Americans have visited their doctor in the past 12 months, and many of them expressed what weighs heavily on their minds before visits.

One primary concern regarding Americans’ healthcare is lack of information: 53% said they wish they knew how to properly describe their conditions and symptoms better before talking to their healthcare provider.

Likewise, 49% said they’d love to have more information and advice on how to talk to their healthcare providers.

“A significant opportunity exists to more actively engage patients in their health journey,” said PatientPoint Founder and CEO Mike Collette. “Connecting patients with the right education before, during and after their visit empowers them to not only have more meaningful conversations with their doctor but ultimately make more informed decisions regarding their health.”

Despite these concerns, four in five (81%) felt like their healthcare provider listens to their concerns and only 37% leave their appointments feeling confused, which is down from 48% in 2022.

Respondents also noted other positive attributes related to their recent healthcare experiences. Those included: feeling more heard and respected by their doctors (66%), having an overall positive experience with their doctor (54%) and having a doctor that takes their background into account (37%).

Respondents also were seen to put more trust in the technology healthcare providers use. Thirty percent said they would trust the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their doctor’s office.

Over half would trust wearables that track and collect data about their health (59%), interactive touchscreens in their doctor’s office (57%) and remote patient monitoring through their healthcare provider (56%).

Two in three (68%) said they’d trust online health portals where they can access education and medication information tailored to their health.

More than a quarter (28%) believe their health experience can be more personalized by having tailored medication information based on their condition, as well as having an exam room that welcomes them by name (20%) and tailored education sent to them before their visit (19%).

“As healthcare continues to become more personal, the need to give patients tailored information at every point along their unique health journey will be paramount,” said Collette. “We know when patients receive highly relevant content at the right time, it’s an incredibly powerful motivator that results in better health outcomes.”

Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 nationally represented Americans; the survey was commissioned by PatientPoint and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between May 15 and May 20, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
● Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
● Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
● Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
● Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
● Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
● Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.