Prescriptions and problems: People’s views on health care in a pandemic

When visiting a doctor or medical professional, people are often looking for answers to questions, solutions to problems, and a helping hand to feel better in a number of ways. However, health care can be a minefield from terminology to medications and people can often leave an appointment with some confusion.

We surveyed Americans to reveal how many people are confused by their doctor’s orders. The results revealed that people in San Antonio are the most confused after visiting their doctor, with half of the people surveyed (50%) stating that they’ve been left confused by medical terminology.

Take a look at the bar chart below to find out how other states compare.

Many people need to take prescription drugs for a range of conditions, and for some, this is an everyday occurrence. But with the cost of prescriptions, how are people managing their medication? Our results reveal that 30% of people need a prescription they can’t afford while 34% admit they take expired prescription drugs regularly.

Take a look below for more insight on if people can pay for their prescriptions and if they’ve ever taken expired drugs.

The language of medicine can be difficult to interpret and often the medical jargon used by professionals can leave patients confused, leading many people to use online diagnosis sites instead of seeking actual medical advice.

The graphic below highlights how many people trust the internet over their doctor, as well as how many people are too embarrassed to admit that they didn’t understand the terminology their healthcare provider used.

COVID-19 has been going on throughout 2020, but how do people feel about the global pandemic? Thirty-seven percent believe that COVID-19 has been exaggerated in the media while 32% would not self-isolate if they had symptoms. Take a look below to find out how people feel about the pandemic.

All data, methodology, and sources are available on request.