Table 2.
Public Perceptions of Resuming Elective Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic (n = 722).
| Question/Statement | Respondents, n (%) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all | Very Little | Somewhat | To a Great Extent | |
| How worried would you be about becoming infected with COVID-19 if you were in the hospital getting surgery? | 86 (11.9) | 195 (27.0) | 273 (37.8) | 168 (23.3) |
| How worried would you be about the risk of exposing your family to COVID-19 after your surgery? |
81 (11.2) |
218 (30.2) |
264 (36.6) |
159 (22.0) |
| Within 1 mo |
1 mo to 3 mo |
3 mo to 6 mo |
Greater than 6 mo |
|
| Once COVID-19 restrictions are removed, when would you feel comfortable having elective (nonurgent) surgery? | 191 (26.5) | 199 (27.6) | 158 (21.9) | 174 (24.1) |
| Hospital |
Outpatient Surgery Center |
|||
| If given the choice, where would you prefer to have elective (nonurgent) surgery post-COVID-19? | 409 (56.6) | 313 (43.4) | ||
| No | Yes | |||
| There may be a long wait list for elective surgery post-COVID-19. Would you pay an extra fee to have your surgery done sooner? | 517 (71.6) | 205 (28.4) | ||
| There may be a long wait list for elective surgery post-COVID-19. Would you change surgeons if you had to wait too long? |
450 (62.3) |
272 (37.7) |
||
| Check-in and waiting room |
Operating room |
Interactions with staff |
Postsurgery recovery area |
|
| What part of the surgical process would worry you the most about getting COVID-19? | 288 (39.9) | 129 (17.9) | 184 (25.5) | 121 (16.8) |
| In-person visit |
Telehealth visit |
|||
| For your first visit after surgery, would you prefer to see your surgeon in-person or with a video call (telehealth)? | 364 (50.4) | 358 (49.6) | ||