New National Poll Shows 75% of Patients Ready to Go Back to the Doctor

Guidance released last week by AdvaMed, AORN, AHA “an important step” to resuming critical medical procedures  

May 28, 2020, WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recent nationwide polling data shows 75% of Americans are ready to visit the doctor’s office again.

“We already knew that too many patients have been going without the care that is absolutely vital to their health, and what this poll confirms is that patients themselves are anxious and ready to continue the care that was put on pause because of COVID-19,” said Scott Whitaker, president and CEO of AdvaMed. “It’s time for these essential medical procedures to resume. Last week, we joined AORN and AHA in releasing ‘Re-entry Guidance for Health Care Facilities and Medical Device Representatives,’ which is an important step toward helping providers get patients safely and responsibly back to the care they need.”

The May 20 poll, which included 593 respondents, indicated three quarters would be willing to visit a doctor’s office tomorrow “without hesitation.” The “Back To Normal Barometer” poll was conducted by Engagious in conjunction with the Sports and Leisure Research Group and ROKK Solutions.

The milestone is particularly significant given that nearly half (48%) of American adults polled said either they or someone in their household has postponed or skipped medical care due to the coronavirus, according to separate polling released yesterday  by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Among those who postponed care, 68% expect to get the delayed care within the next three months. Notably, 11% of respondents reported worsened health as a result of postponing or skipping medical care due to coronavirus.

As health care professionals and organizations consider when and how to safely resume elective surgeries paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, the above-mentioned guidance adds principles and considerations to support the vital collaboration between health care personnel and medical device representatives.

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AdvaMed member companies produce the medical devices, diagnostic products and health information systems that are transforming health care through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures and more effective treatments. AdvaMed members range from the largest to the smallest medical technology innovators and companies. For more information, visit www.advamed.org.