A new poll from Gallup found that Americans have a more favorable perception of the care and attention they receive at urgent care compared to many other provider types. Among the list of 9 healthcare players in the 2023 Health and Healthcare survey, urgent care ranks just above the middle at number 4. Here’s how respondents rated urgent care: “Excellent/Good”: 56%; “Only Fair”: 32%; “Poor”: 10%. Nurses receive the best rating from consumers with 82% saying they provide excellent or good medical care, followed by doctors, who rank second on the list with 69% of respondents expressing a positive perception. Hospital emergency rooms rank number 6 with just 47% of respondents viewing them in a positive way. The poll also revealed Americans’ overall confidence in the healthcare system is at its lowest in a decade.
Congratulations, urgent care! The data company conducted similar healthcare industry polls in 2003 and 2010 and found little change in the ratings over time. However, it turns out that urgent care is the only provider type that can boast a positive change in consumer perception—an increase of 2 percentage points since 2010—while all others endured a reduced number of consumers offering a rating of excellent or good.