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A recent survey from U.S. News & World Report evaluated important factors in how people choose their care options for a new health concern. 

When choosing a hospital and/or physician, these factors came into play:

• Just over half (53%) of survey respondents either chose the hospital first or chose both hospital and physician together. 47% chose a physician first.
• When the choice is between a preferred physician or preferred hospital, 80% of respondents said they would go with their preferred physician to a different hospital. 20% would do the opposite.
• Physician referrals about hospitals are trusted by patients, with survey respondents giving those referrals an average of 4.0 on a 5.0 trustworthiness scale. Data directories (online directories, hospital websites) were rated at 3.5-3.7, and AI chatbots, social media, and podcasts were rated at 2.7-2.8.
• Referrals to hospitals by their own physicians are most trusted by patients, over methodology-backed rankings and hospital/insurer directories. Podcasts, AI tools, and social platforms ranked the lowest in referral trust.
• There is an age difference in referral trust. People aged 26-40 trust podcasts, AI chatbots, and social platforms almost as much as they trust referrals and hospital websites, while the trust gap in the two groups of referrals is wider in older patients. The younger group also trusts consumer reviews such as Google and Yelp when considering hospitals.
• Physical cues that point to safety considerations inside hospitals include cleanliness (51%), visible technology/equipment (36%), staff presentation (35%), visible security (26%), how crowded the space feels (20%), noise levels (17%), and wayfinding signage (15%).
• Proximity is important to patients. While 62% of respondents considered hospital location very important, they were also willing to relax that consideration for more serious conditions, with just over one-third (36%) saying they were willing to travel 3+ hours for specialized treatment.