Survey Outcomes

We heard you New Jersey. Despite having less than 5% of COVID-19 patients in our hospitals and extensive safety precautions, many residents are still concerned about seeking medical care. The numbers are our evidence, as inpatient elective surgeries are down 24% when comparing June/July 2020 vs. 2019.

NJHA recently initiated and completed a Health Attitudes survey among residents within NJ aged 50+ with the goal of measuring their concerns, comfort level with current measures, and their plans (if any) to resume medical procedures and treatments in a hospital.

The survey, by Bruno and Ridgway Research Associates*, was conducted from Sept. 8-18, 2020, on behalf of New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA).

The Results

17% of New Jersey adults are “not concerned” about contracting coronavirus in hospitals. However, 83% of adults are “concerned” about the risk on some level ranging from “not very” to “very” concerned. Of those surveyed, those aged 50-64 were more concerned (54%) than those aged 65 and over (43%).

During the pandemic, hospitals continued to care for non-COVID-19 cases including life-saving surgeries, births, trauma services, and emergency care. NJ hospitals safely cared for nearly 350,000 people with non-COVID-19 needs at the height of the health crisis. In April, COVID-19 patients represented 20% of the total number of patients in NJ hospitals. As of September, COVID-19 admissions reduced to less than 5% of total patients.

Our Top Priority

NJHA is committed to educating NJ about the stringent safety protocols throughout the state because our hospitals are committed to putting your safety and security first.

When surveyed about the current safety measures that are in place in NJ hospitals, consumers’ comfort levels ranged from 66%-82% depending upon the measure.

Overall, we see that the NJ public is comfortable with the safety measures currently in place within the hospital system. However, there is still a concern with the overall risk of COVID-19.

82
Testing of All Employees
80
Universal Masking
79
Separate Staff
77
COVID-19 Positive Patients Separate
76
Screening of All Entering the Hospital
72
Practice Social Distancing
67
Virtual Check-In/Check-Out
66
Limit Visitors to One Family Member/Friend
Learn More About Safety Protocols

Schedule, Reschedule, and Visit the Emergency Room

Within the past few months, 15% of consumers had a scheduled procedure or elective surgery canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. Consumers stated that they want to stay healthy so they can enjoy a longer life with their loved ones. Prioritizing their healthcare needs is a critical part of that goal.

From the survey, 16% of consumers anticipate needing a new procedure or elective surgery within the upcoming months. Out of this, 3% have already scheduled, and 11% plan to schedule their procedure.

Finally, a total of 10% of consumers who completed the survey have received care within an emergency room since COVID-19 began.

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The Future

It is positive to see that consumers are taking a step forward to make their healthcare a priority by scheduling their upcoming procedures and visiting the emergency room if the need arises.

Consumers stated that they want to stay healthy so they can enjoy a longer life with their loved ones and that this message is important to remind us to take care of ourselves for the future.

*The survey was conducted online among a cross section of 402 adults age 50 and over throughout the state of New Jersey. The survey’s margin of error is ±4.6% percentage points for 402 adults at the 95% confidence level. Quotas were established to ensure a roughly 40% male/60% female ratio.