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Do Americans trust physicians? New survey reveals the answer
Six takeaways from Pew Research’s latest poll
Americans today report an overall positive attitude toward medical doctors, and most say they trust physicians to do a good job, according to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center.  But there are a few areas where the American public is less trusting of physicians, the survey shows. Here is a snapshot of the results:
74% of Americans today have a positive view of medical doctors.
*Older Americans are more trusting of physicians than younger Americans.
Medical doctors care about the best interests of their patients…
All or most of the time: 57%
Some of the time: 33%
Only a little/none of the time: 9%
Doctors do a good job providing recommendations…
All or most of the time: 49%
Some of the time: 42%
Only a little/none of the time: 9%
Doctors provide fair and accurate information…
All or most of the time: 48%
Some of the time: 43%
Only a little/none of the time: 9%
· Younger participants, blacks and Hispanics believe doctors only provide accurate treatment 42% of the time.
· 71% of blacks and 63% of Hispanics expressed levels of concern over professional misconduct.
· 43 percent of whites saw professional misconduct as a problem.
“Long-standing concerns about inequalities in health outcomes for blacks and Hispanics as compared with whites could play a role in these perceptions.”
-Pew Research
Physicians are transparent about conflicts of interest…
All or most of the time: 15%
Some of the time: 50%
Only a little/none of the time: 33%
Doctors admit mistakes and take responsibility…
All or most of the time: 12%
Some of the time: 46%
Only a little/none of the time: 41%