How Americans feel about the healthcare system

Participants were asked to assess the care they received in the U.S. healthcare system.

Overall, respondents gave nurses the highest rating, with 82% saying that nurses provide excellent or good medical care. Physicians were second, with 69% of respondents saying they provide excellent or good medical care.

Over half of respondents also said hospitals (58%), walk-in/urgent care clinics (56%), and telemedicine or virtual doctor visits (52%) provided excellent or good care. However, less than half said hospital EDs, pharmaceutical or drug companies, health insurance companies, or nursing homes provided excellent or good care.

According to Gallup, nurses' high ranking "underscores their premier position among U.S. occupations," especially when it comes to honesty and ethics. In a 2022 Gallup survey, 79% of respondents said nurses had "very high" or "high" honesty and ethical standards, with medical doctors ranking second at 62%.

Nurses have also avoided significant declines in how people view the quality of their care, especially compared to other providers. Between 2010 and 2023, nurses experienced a six-percentage point decline in the number of respondents who said they provided excellent or good care (88% in 2010 vs. 82% in 2023).

In comparison, physicians experienced a 15-percentage point decline between 2010 and 2023, going from 84% to 69%. Pharmaceutical or drug companies, hospitals, hospital EDs, and health insurance companies also saw declines greater than 10-percentage points.

Walk-in clinics/urgent care clinics were the only providers to see a slight increase in favorability over time, going from 54% in 2010 to 56% in 2023. 

According to Gallup, these declines in favorability for many healthcare providers and entities may be due to several factors, including higher healthcare costs, the opioid crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing healthcare staff shortages. (Goldman, Axios, 12/19; Saad, Gallup, 12/18)

A new survey of 4,000 U.S. patients reveals the trends shaping how healthcare consumers are choosing where (or if) to seek care. Learn more about how healthcare consumer preferences and behaviors are evolving and find out how your organization can adapt.