The U.S. public health system\u00a0was\u00a0thrust\u00a0into the limelight by the coronavirus pandemic, and a survey published Thursday found many Americans aren’t happy with its performance.<\/p>\n
According to the survey, conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in February through March, ratings\u00a0of\u00a0nation\u2019s public health system declined from 43% in 2009 to 34%\u00a0in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Positive ratings\u00a0for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fell overall from 59% in 2009 to 54% in 2021. Health experts say distrust and the politicization of public health measures contributed to Americans\u2019 negative view of health institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow the public sees public health is incredibly important,\u201d said Dr. Robert Blendon, co-director of the survey and professor of health policy and political analysis at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. \u201cWhen it comes to trust with health information, which is the heart of what public health is about, they\u2019re much more likely to trust clinical physicians and nurses than public health institutions and agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fewer than four in 10\u00a0adults report having “a great deal” or “quite a lot of trust” in the National Institutes of Health (37%), the Food and Drug Administration (37%) and the Department of Health and Human Services (33%).<\/p>\n
Health experts say the politicization of public health measures such as masking, travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders also has\u00a0influenced public opinion.<\/p>\n
The survey found only 27% of Republicans said they had “a lot of trust” in the CDC, compared to 78% of Democrats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have not had another pandemic that has been politicized by party \u2026 Nobody had a Republican or Democratic view on polio vaccine. It just didn\u2019t exist,\u201d Blendon said. \u201cThe minute that happens, people of the party determine what\u2019s going on based on their political views regardless of the facts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite people\u2019s negative opinion about\u00a0federal agencies, they still regard them\u00a0as an important pillars of the nation\u2019s health system.<\/p>\n
‘Black fungus’:<\/strong>Fungal infection appearing more frequently among COVID-19 patients in India. What to know about the deadly infection.<\/span><\/p>\n Vaccine Q&A: <\/strong>Younger teens could soon get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Your questions answered<\/span><\/p>\n The survey found 72% of survey respondents said public health agencies are “extremely” or “very important,” with 71% in favor of substantially increasing federal spending to improve public health programs.<\/p>\n Health experts say local health departments and federal agencies should utilize the public\u2019s positive perception of health care providers to communicate public health messages. According to a Gallup poll cited in the survey,\u00a0public opinion of the\u00a0medical system increased from 36% in 2009 to 51% in 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both major political parties had high levels of trust for their health care workers with 80% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans saying they had “a lot of trust” in them.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople know their doctors, they know their nurses,\u201d said Dr. Alonzo Plough, vice president of research-evaluation-learning and chief science officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. \u201cA major understanding of health isn\u2019t really prevention in public health, but it\u2019s going to the doctor when you aren\u2019t feeling well.\u201d<\/p>\n