Survey: Do People’s Healthcare Beliefs Match Their Actions?

Americans’ health beliefs shifted during the pandemic: Trust in healthcare systems declined, and we’re more split than ever about what keeps us healthy. With shifts in beliefs, we expect corresponding behavior shifts. But according to GoodRx Research, health beliefs and behaviors don’t always line up, especially when it comes to yearly checkups and COVID-19 vaccinations.

For roughly the past 100 years, visiting a primary care provider once a year has been widely recommended and socially accepted. In fact, the CDC reports that approximately 83% of U.S. adults saw a physician at least once the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that most still agree with the importance of a physical, but provider visits dropped off during the pandemic.

On the other hand, even though healthcare professionals have encouraged vaccination over the past year, beliefs in the COVID-19 vaccines’ effectiveness are mixed. That said, many have received their shots.

Both annual physicals and COVID-19 vaccines are proven to protect against life-threatening illnesses and diseases. So, what accounts for the discrepancies in beliefs and behaviors? We discuss some possible explanations below.

80% believe that an annual physical is important, but visit rates aren’t as high

An annual physical, also referred to as a physical exam or wellness visit, is a visit to a healthcare provider once a year. Physicians around the country encourage getting a physical once a year to discuss concerns, get vitals checked, and receive preventative screenings. 

We asked over 1,000 participants about their views on annual physicals. Eighty percent either strongly agreed (60%) or agreed (20%) with the importance of an annual physical.

However, in 2021, only 61% of people saw a provider for a physical exam. Specifically, only 50% of those who agreed, and 70% of those who strongly agreed with the importance of an annual physical actually visited a provider last year.

The data shows that even when the desire to see a provider is strong, actually seeing one can be a whole other story due to a myriad of challenges. Issues patients have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic include:

• Fear of contracting COVID-19: During the pandemic, many patients weighed the risk of being exposed to COVID-19 during a provider visit and chose to forgo their annual physical.

• Financial hardship: During the pandemic, approximately 2 million people faced long-term unemployment. Many who lost jobs also lost health insurance, which can make affording a provider visit difficult. And when visiting a provider, insured patients are often charged a costly copayment or coinsurance fee.

• Accessibility issues: Rural residents are less likely to find a provider nearby due to factors such as lack of access to public transportation.

Many are vaccinated despite mixed opinions on vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective; they protect individuals from severe COVID-19 illness and hospitalization. The vaccines are FDA-approved for everyone ages 5 and up.

GoodRx Research looked at whether vaccine hesitancy actually impacts vaccine uptake in the U.S. A total of 34% of people did not agree that everyone should get the COVID-19 vaccine. Importantly, only 66% of people agreed that everyone should get the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 80% who agreed with annual physicals. 

Even though belief in the vaccine was lower than belief in physicals, 75% of U.S. adults had received at least one dose of the vaccine as of January 2022.

We found that many people who didn’t believe in the vaccine were vaccinated. A total of 15% of those who strongly disagreed with the statement “everyone who can should get the COVID-19 vaccine,” 39% who disagreed with the statement, and 61% of those who were unsure had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

These findings suggest there are other factors at play besides belief in the vaccine when deciding whether or not to get vaccinated. Namely, misinformation and mandates.

Prior GoodRx Research found that over 70% of people had been exposed to medical misinformation; most often the misinformation was about COVID-19 on social media. High rates of misinformation have caused confusion, which can lead to a lack of trust in vaccinations.

Although misinformation was widespread during the pandemic, federal and local policies helped play a large role in vaccine uptake. Mandates became common once the vaccines were rolled out:

• Cities like Los Angeles and New York City required proof of full COVID-19 vaccination to enter any public space such as restaurants and recreational facilities.

• Almost all college campuses across the country require students to have both doses of the vaccine in order to stay enrolled in school. Some universities, such as Rutgers University and the University of Southern California, also required students to get the COVID-19 booster dose.

• Major companies such as Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Walmart and many more are requiring all in-person employees to be vaccinated.

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With the increase of school and workplace mandates came an increase in vaccinations as many Americans did not want to lose their jobs or their ability to attend school. Policy and mandates created a clear path for folks who had reservations about the vaccine and drove vaccination rates to where they are today.

To increase vaccination rates even further, many health organizations and the federal administration have focused on educational materials to improve public understanding on vaccine effectiveness and safety. As we’ve seen with annual physicals, high agreement led to high uptake pre-pandemic. The same may hold true for COVID-19 vaccines as educational efforts continue.

How to get physical exams

If it’s difficult for you to see a provider in person, you can take advantage of telehealth visits. Meeting with a provider online can limit exposure to COVID-19 and make care more accessible, especially for those who live in a healthcare desert or who lack transportation.

If cost is an issue, community health centers offer free or low-cost wellness checks. These services are offered on a sliding scale, meaning that your income will determine service cost. Additionally, certain Medicare Advantage plans offer members one free physical per year.

Here are some resources to help you get a low-cost physical exam:

• Free clinics

• Free child checkups

• Where to receive low-cost health care in your community

How to get COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines are free of charge to those living in the U.S., regardless of immigration status. There are even ways to get vaccinated if you are homebound. To locate a vaccination site near you:

• Use our vaccination appointment tool.

• Call 1-800-232-0233.

• Text your ZIP code to 483829.

• Or visit Vaccines.gov.

Since the spread of misinformation on the COVID-19 vaccines is so widespread, it is important to make sure you are getting the correct information. Double-check all information you see and remain critical of information you see on social media.

Summing it up 

There are vast differences between beliefs and actions when it comes to recommended health behaviors. These disparities have been heightened during the pandemic. However, there are still ways to continue receiving the care you need. Getting an annual physical and receiving the full course of COVID-19 vaccinations will help you and your family stay healthy.

Co-contributors: Swetha Pola, MIDS, Sasha Guttentag, PhD, Tori Marsh, MPH

Methodology 

Our survey was run through Google Surveys and was entirely composed of Android smartphone users. The survey ran from December 22, 2021, to January 17, 2022; a total of 1,568 responses were collected. Selection criteria of self-reported exposure to medical misinformation was applied; a total of 1,157 responses were included in final analysis. We weighted survey responses to the U.S. population using age, gender, and geographical location. We measured belief in annual physicals as “Everyone should go to the doctor once a year” on a 1-5 scale. We measured belief in the COVID-19 vaccines as “Everyone who can should get the COVID-19 vaccine.”

More information on the Google Survey methodology is available here.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Aashna Gheewalla, B.S.

Aashna Gheewalla, B.S. was an editorial intern on the GoodRx Health team. She has a B.S. in Public Health from Rutgers University.

Edited by:

Tori Marsh, MPH

Tori Marsh is GoodRx’s resident expert on prescription drug pricing, prescribing trends, and drug savings. She oversees the GoodRx drug database, ensuring that all drug information is accurate and up to date.

Analysis by:

Swetha Pola, MIDS

Swetha Pola, MIDS, received her Master of Information and Data Science from the UC Berkeley School of Information and her Bachelor of Arts in cognitive science from UC Berkeley. Her research interests include health surveillance and intervention via social technologies, natural language processing and health, and artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare.

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