Top reasons Americans put off going to the doctor
- 8 months ago
Four in 10 Americans (41%) say they put off going to the doctor.
A survey of 2,000 nationally representative Americans found that being potentially unable to afford their care (52%) was a top reason.
Other reasons for avoiding their doctor included anxiety about potential procedures or tests (40%), fear of receiving bad news or a serious diagnosis (39%) and exhaustion from parenting or caretaking (39%).
People are also much more concerned they won’t be able to afford their treatment this year compared to last year’s OnePoll survey (66% vs. 45%).
That may be why nearly four in 10 26–34-year-olds (38%) and 35–54-year-olds (39%) have not been to the doctor in the past five years.
And only 43% of Black Americans polled reported doing so.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of PatientPoint, the survey also revealed that more people have felt anxious before going to a doctor’s appointment this year than last year (48% vs. 39%).
Asian Americans surveyed were much more likely than white respondents to feel confused (36% vs. 20%), overwhelmed (37% vs. 19%) or intimidated (30% vs. 16%).
An additional survey of 275 Hispanic/Latino Americans found they were much more likely than white respondents to feel anxious (63% vs. 48%), stressed (47% vs. 22%) or overwhelmed (34% vs. 19%).
Looking into the reasons for these feelings, more Americans felt they didn’t have enough information to help them prepare for their visit this year than in 2022 (48% vs. 38%).
Black (63%) and Asian Americans (67%) polled were more likely to say they didn’t have enough information to prepare for their appointment, compared to white respondents (44%).
Hispanic/Latino Americans were nearly twice as likely to be concerned about what they might find out at their doctor’s appointment (50%), compared to white respondents (27%).
However, there’s been some progress made, as only a third (33%) of Americans have “always” or “often” left an appointment feeling confused — down from 48% year over year.
Still, nearly half of respondents remain afraid to ask their healthcare provider about their health condition or symptoms (46% in 2023, compared to 51% in 2022).
Americans’ trust in their healthcare provider may help in this regard, and eight in 10 people polled (87%) say they trust their healthcare provider. The top things that make a healthcare provider trustworthy? Being able to explain a condition or symptoms in simple terms (62%), listening to patients’ concerns (57%) and providing personalized education and resources about their condition, symptoms and treatment options (55%).
A survey of 2,000 nationally representative Americans found that being potentially unable to afford their care (52%) was a top reason.
Other reasons for avoiding their doctor included anxiety about potential procedures or tests (40%), fear of receiving bad news or a serious diagnosis (39%) and exhaustion from parenting or caretaking (39%).
People are also much more concerned they won’t be able to afford their treatment this year compared to last year’s OnePoll survey (66% vs. 45%).
That may be why nearly four in 10 26–34-year-olds (38%) and 35–54-year-olds (39%) have not been to the doctor in the past five years.
And only 43% of Black Americans polled reported doing so.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of PatientPoint, the survey also revealed that more people have felt anxious before going to a doctor’s appointment this year than last year (48% vs. 39%).
Asian Americans surveyed were much more likely than white respondents to feel confused (36% vs. 20%), overwhelmed (37% vs. 19%) or intimidated (30% vs. 16%).
An additional survey of 275 Hispanic/Latino Americans found they were much more likely than white respondents to feel anxious (63% vs. 48%), stressed (47% vs. 22%) or overwhelmed (34% vs. 19%).
Looking into the reasons for these feelings, more Americans felt they didn’t have enough information to help them prepare for their visit this year than in 2022 (48% vs. 38%).
Black (63%) and Asian Americans (67%) polled were more likely to say they didn’t have enough information to prepare for their appointment, compared to white respondents (44%).
Hispanic/Latino Americans were nearly twice as likely to be concerned about what they might find out at their doctor’s appointment (50%), compared to white respondents (27%).
However, there’s been some progress made, as only a third (33%) of Americans have “always” or “often” left an appointment feeling confused — down from 48% year over year.
Still, nearly half of respondents remain afraid to ask their healthcare provider about their health condition or symptoms (46% in 2023, compared to 51% in 2022).
Americans’ trust in their healthcare provider may help in this regard, and eight in 10 people polled (87%) say they trust their healthcare provider. The top things that make a healthcare provider trustworthy? Being able to explain a condition or symptoms in simple terms (62%), listening to patients’ concerns (57%) and providing personalized education and resources about their condition, symptoms and treatment options (55%).