Hospital Safety and Staffing Consumer Survey Report 2022-2023

• Kara L. Nadeau, Healthcare Industry Contributor

A 2023 GHX survey explores consumer preferences and concerns in terms of hospital safety and staffing, emphasizing the growing appeal of non-acute care options.  Get the key takeaways in this article and discover consumer expectations on safety, staffing, and quality to shape a future-focused patient experience.

Table of Contents

1. Key survey findings
2. Staffing shortages
3. Safety concerns
4. Urgent care vs ER
5. Consumer expectations
6. Methodology

Key Survey Findings

The survey findings point to concerns among Americans with regards to hospital staffing shortages, security, and quality of care. Patients are increasingly turning to non-acute care sites as an alternative to hospitals, particularly when faced with the need for emergency services.

1. Hospital staffing shortages among top concerns
2. Indications of concerns about hospital safety
3. Urgent care centers preferred over hospital ERs
4. Consumers want more staff and greater security in hospital settings

The intention of these findings is to provide hospital leaders real-world insights based on U.S. consumers’ perceptions of hospital safety, drivers behind their concerns with acute care settings, and steps they believe hospitals could take to improve visits for patients and others.

Hospital staffing shortages top the list of concerns

Hospital leaders know first-hand the challenges of chronic nurse shortages and other staffing vacancies. But does this issue come into play with consumers when considering a site for care?

According to the survey, four in five (81%) Americans say there is a staffing issue in hospitals today, with nearly half of respondents (49%) saying they would avoid going to a hospital because of staffing shortages. Further, 36% of consumers said they are worried about not being able to see the right medical staff and/or not being able to spend enough time with doctors and/or nurses because of staffing issues.

The demographic data revealed those consumers who had visited a hospital in the past year were more likely to say they would avoid hospital care because of staffing shortages (51% vs. 42%) versus those who had not.

Of all those surveyed, age also played a role in staffing concerns, with those aged 18-29, 30-39 and 40-54 more likely to avoid visiting a hospital because of staffing shortages than those 55 and older (57%, 59% & 54% vs. 34%). Furthermore, consumers with children were more likely to avoid hospital care due to staffing shortages than those without children (62% vs. 45%).

Indications of concerns about hospital safety

While the expression, “first, do no harm,” articulates the moral obligations of modern medicine, U.S. consumers today question their safety in the hospital environment.

When asked if hospitals need to do a better job with security, 70% of respondents said “yes,” and 39% reported they would avoid the hospital because of concerns around violence.

Over half (52%) of those surveyed said they are likely to avoid going to the hospital in fear of catching Covid or another virus. More than one-third (36%) cited fears of contracting an infection while recovering in the hospital.

When looking at the respondent demographics, those who have been to a hospital in the past year were more likely to avoid the acute care setting because of fear of catching a virus or the risk of violence compared with those who had not been in a hospital in the past 12 months (54% vs. 45%, 42% vs. 28%).

Younger respondents, aged 18-29 and 30-39, were more likely to say they would avoid the hospital because of violence than those aged 40-54 and 55 and older (52% & 50% vs. 40% & 22%). Violence concerns were also cited more with male respondents versus female (41% vs. 36%), and those with children versus those without (52% vs. 30%).

Urgent care centers preferred over hospital ERs

Seven in 10 (71%) Americans have visited a hospital in the past year and more than half (52%) have been to a hospital emergency room (ER). With regards to procedures, 44% said they had been a hospital patient for an outpatient procedure, and 40% for an inpatient procedure or other stay.

When asked if they would choose an urgent care center over a hospital emergency room (ER), if they could, in the event of an emergency, 69% of consumers surveyed said “yes,” indicating a growing preference for non-acute facilities.

Digging down into the demographic data, respondents who had visited a hospital in the past year were more likely than those who had not to say they would choose an urgent care facility over a hospital ER in an emergency (70% vs. 65%).

Regarding survey respondent age, those 18-29, 30-39 and 40-54 were more likely than those 55 and older to say they would choose an urgent care facility over a hospital ER (70%, 76% & 73% vs. 59%) if they had the choice.

Consumers want more staff, greater security in hospital settings

So, how can hospital leaders boost consumer confidence in their care settings and care delivery? The survey finds one of American consumers’ top desire is around higher staffing levels, followed by enhanced security measures.

When asked what factors would likely improve visits to a hospital, more than half of survey respondents (54%) said more nurses, almost half (48%) said more support staff, and 46% said more doctors would help.

With regards to security, nearly one-third of those surveyed said better security at hospital entrances would likely improve visits to a hospital, and one-fifth cited better control over guests and visitors.

Younger respondents, aged 18-29 and 30-39, were more likely than those 40-54 and 55 and older to say better control over visitors and guests would most help to improve visits (35% & 32% vs. 24% & 24%). The same was true of respondents with children, with those having children more likely to say better control over visitors and guests would improve visits (33% vs. 24%) than those without.

Methodology

The results of a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, commissioned by GHX and fielded by Regina Corso Consulting in November 2022, reveal insights into consumer sentiment around the hospital experience.

The survey collected responses from 2,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older and delivered demographic insights related to income, gender, and differing perceptions between those who had received care or visited a hospital in the last year and those who hadn’t. Survey respondents are balanced in an attempt to be representative of the U.S. collectively based on 2020 Census data.

Notes for reading charts and tables – percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding or because the question was a multiple response allowed item. Unless otherwise indicated, bases for all charts are of the total of 2,000 American adults.

Kara L. Nadeau

Healthcare Industry Contributor

Kara L. Nadeau has more than 20 years of experience as a writer for the healthcare industry, working for clients in fields including medical device/supply manufacturers and distributors; software, solution and service providers; hospitals and health systems; and industry associations.