Patient Perceptions of their COVID-19 Inpatient Hospital Experience: a Survey Exploring Inequities in Healthcare Delivery

• Published in: Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities Vol. 10; no. 6; pp. 2775 - 2782
• Main Authors: Oppelt, Thomas F., Polsonetti, Bryan, Caron, Michael F., Collins-Carriveau, Carol, Fischer, Nils, Gofman, Larisa, Ghazipura, Marya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aftercare; Black people; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Delivery of Health Care; Demographic variables; Epidemiology; Health care; Health care delivery; Health disparities; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Inpatient care; Inpatients; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority groups; Mortality; Mortality rates; Observational studies; Patient Discharge; Patients; Perceptions; Polls & surveys; Quality of care; Quality of Life Research; Social factors; Social Inequality; Social Structure; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic status; Socioeconomics; Surveys; United States > US; COVID-19 hospitalization; Patient perception; Healthcare inequity
• ISSN: 2197-3792; 2196-8837
• DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01454-9

Background Compared with White patients, Black and Latinx patients have higher infection, hospitalization, and mortality rates from COVID-19; yet, little is known about their perspective before, during, and after a COVID-19 hospitalization. The objective of this study conducted in White, Black, and Latinx patients was to assess perceptions of their COVID-19–related hospitalization from onset of symptoms through the post-discharge period to identify disparities in their perceived care. Methods A cross-sectional observational study using an online survey from May 19 to June 23, 2021, was conducted by The Harris Poll in 200 White, 200 Black, and 201 Latinx patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the US. Main measures obtained included baseline demographic variables, socioeconomic status, and social determinants of health. Survey questions were specific to key aspects of the patient experience before, during, and after a COVID-19–related hospitalization. Results Compared with White patients, Latinx and Black patients faced unique challenges in their healthcare journey including higher likelihood of delaying their hospitalization (10% Black vs. 4% White patients, respectively, P  = 0.025), lower perceived satisfaction with care (82% Latinx vs 91% White patients, P  = 0.002), and lower trust in providers following their hospitalization (85% White vs. 65% Latinx [ P  = 0.027] and 73% Black [ P  = 0.050] patients). Conclusions Patient perceptions of their COVID-19 hospitalization experience revealed disparities in perceived quality of care among minority groups. These findings offer insights that health inequities still exist, and strategies need to be taken to make health care delivery more equitable.