Primary Care & COVID-19: Round 24 Survey

Check back regularly for the latest survey results and updates.
For data from the previous survey, see Round 23 Results.

The Primary Care Collaborative is partnering with the Larry A. Green Center to regularly survey primary care clinicians and patients to better understand the impact of COVID-19 in real time.

Who replied to the survey in round 24?

1,485 primary care clinicians from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico responded to the survey fielded between December 11 and 14, 2020. The range of specialties is: family medicine, 63%; internal medicine, 19%; pediatrics, 9%; geriatrics, 4%; other, 6%. 25% own their practice, 43% of practices are owned by a hospital or health system, 10% are independent and part of a larger group, and 7% are government-owned. 49% report a practice size of 10 or more clinicians, 25% report a practice size of 1-3 clinicians, and 26% report a practice size of 4-9 clinicians. 6% report practicing in a primary care and convenience care setting, 18% in a rural setting, 34% in a patient-centered primary care home, 10% in a community health center, and 9% in an office, school or college.

Results at a glance

As the first COVID-19 vaccines are administered in the U.S., primary are clinicians are welcoming its widespread rollout. Very few (5%) clinicians say their employer is requiring them to get the vaccine, but a very high number (89%) say they will voluntarily get it when it becomes available to them. A similarly high number (90%) will recommend their patients get the vaccine when it’s available. 61% say their practice is expecting to offer the vaccine when available. However, fewer than 1 in 4 clinicians say they are prepared at this point for the logistics of providing the vaccine.

There is some hesitancy about the vaccine among patients. 87% of clinicians say their patients are worried about unknown side effects of the vaccine, and 76% say their patients are worried the vaccine was developed too quickly to be safe. Fewer than half (45%) of clinicians think their patients will mostly be receptive to taking the vaccine. However, over half (58%) of clinicians say their vulnerable patients (e.g., seniors, those with COPD or asthma) have already asked for the vaccine.

Meanwhile, primary care is still in the thick of the pandemic. Almost 2 out of 3 (62%) clinicians say both that the number of issues addressed per patient visit and the complexity of visits has increased during the pandemic. Over half (60%) of clinicians report their patients’ health, unrelated to COVID-19, has worsened.

Practices are struggling to keep up with demands. 91% of practices have some form of personnel shortage, 61% report severe/near severe practice stress, and 41% have staff positions they cannot fill.