Many U.S. Adults Lost Trust in Physicians, Hospitals During Pandemic
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Aug. 6, 2024 -- U.S. adults lost trust in physicians and hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online July 31 in JAMA Network Open.
Roy H. Perlis, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined how trust in physicians and hospitals changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis included survey results from 582,634 responses across 24 survey waves (443,455 unique respondents).
The researchers found that overall, the proportion of adults reporting a lot of trust for physicians and hospitals decreased from 71.5 percent in April 2020 to 40.1 percent in January 2024. Factors associated with lower trust in spring and summer 2023 included ages 25 to 64 years, female gender, lower educational level, lower income, Black race, and living in a rural setting. Even when controlling for partisanship, results persisted. Greater trust was associated with greater likelihood of vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 (adjusted odds ratio, 4.94) or influenza (adjusted odds ratio, 5.09) and receiving a SARS-CoV-2 booster (adjusted odds ratio, 3.62).
"As lower levels of trust were associated with lesser likelihood of pursuing vaccination, restoring trust may represent a public health imperative," the authors write.
One author disclosed providing consulting services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2024
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
Screening Colonoscopy IDs Similar Rates of CRC for 45 to 49 as 50 to 54 Years
TUESDAY, June 10, 2025 -- Rates of colorectal cancer detection through colonoscopy screening are similar for adults aged 45 to 49 years and 50 to 54 years, according to a research...
Systemic Social Factors May Increase the Risk of Psychotic Experiences
TUESDAY, June 10, 2025 -- Experiences with discrimination may increase the risk of psychotic experiences among marginalized young adults, according to a study published online May...
New Classification System Accurate for Nasal Deformities in Cleft Lip and Palate
TUESDAY, June 10, 2025 -- A new classification system seems to be highly accurate for evaluating nasal deformities in infants with cleft lip and palate (CLP), according to a study...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.