Perceptions of risk of attending hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK public opinion survey

Description:

In order to inform clinical and research practice in secondary care in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, an online survey was used to collect public opinions on attending hospitals. The survey link was circulated via the NIHR PPI Leads network and social media. 402 people completed the survey with the majority (84%) aged between 35 to 74 years.

Key findings: Respondents were most likely to participate in research related to their own condition, COVID-19 research and vaccine research, but less likely to participate in healthy volunteer research, especially if suffering from a pre-existing comorbidity identified with increased risk or were female. There was general agreement that participants are comfortable with new ways of working, such as remote consultation, though women and respondents from ethnic minorities were less comfortable. Findings raise concerns for health inequalities already impacting some groups in the pandemic. The role of clinical necessity and personal benefit support the reopening of services in line with clinical necessity.