AMERICANS VIEWS OF HEALTH-PROFESSIONALS AND THE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM

Random-digit-dialing household surveys were conducted in 1992 (N=640) and 1993 (N=647) to assess public attitudes toward the U.S. health-car e system and selected health care providers. Over 70% of respondents r ated the health-care system as either poor or fair. Respondents' trust /confidence in nurses was higher than in physicians and dentists. Resp ondents' ratings of their personal dentists were higher than were rati ngs of their personal physicians. Ratings of personal physicians and d entists were somewhat associated with respondents' trust/confidence in physicians and dentists in general. Ratings of providers and the syst em were weakly associated with respondent income and age, but were not associated with medical or dental utilization, insurance, or responde nt gender.