Public Health Barometer : 64.3% of Romanians show a major interest in public health

60% of Romanians say that the main source of medical information is the family doctor, while 25% are informed on the Internet, 80% believe that we do not benefit from innovative medicines as much as other European, according to the Public Health Barometer data for 2021.   At the same time,  the same survey shows that a quarter of Romanians believe that there is no point in going to the doctor if nothing hurts, and 18% are completely against vaccination.   The Public Health Barometer  has been launched by the “Ion I. C. Br?tianu” Political Sciences Institute oft he Romanian Academy and by the LARICS Sociological Research Centre, in partnership with the Romanian Association of International Drug Producers.   The poll was conducted by phone in Bucharest and all Romanian counties, during November 1-19.   Asked if they usually follow the hygiene and social distancing measures imposed by the pandemic context, most Romanians say yes (64.7% yes; 11.5% rather yes). 19.6% chose the option “I respect only those that do not seem absurd”, 4.2% chose  not or rather not.   Over 3 quarters of Romania’s adult population understands that it is normal for the measures imposed by the pandemic context to be observed. Hand disinfection, physical distance from other people, isolation at home at the first symptoms are measures considered useful by over 90% of respondents. The wearing of the mask is no longer as refused as at the beginning of the pandemic, if it is inside. 83.3% consider wearing the mask useful in closed spaces, but only 34.5% consider the mask useful in open spaces.   According to official data, in mid-November, 47% of adults in Romania were vaccinated against Covid-19 with at least one dose. At the beginning of December, 52% were vaccinated with at least one dose. 18% of adults in Romania are still completely against vaccination.   More than 60% of the Romanian respondents are getting their medical information from the doctor. Last year’s barometer had 50.8% for this variant (for an identical question). The percentage of those who said they get priority information from the internet remained constant (around 25%). The biggest loss compared to last year’s survey is the pharmacy as a source of information. Then, “relatives, friends” – the effect of a relative isolation / social distancing.   55% of Romanians believe that the authorities / doctors / pharmaceutical industry knowingly hide important things about medicines, diseases, vaccines. 41.8% do not believe in such a conspiracy.   Romanians consider that the biggest issues of the local healthcare system are: the lack of medical devices, the system financing, the cost of good treatment, bureaucracy, the physicians’ conduct.   As for the screening and clinical studies, these are not favored among Romanians. Only 28.7% of the respondents would participate in a clinical study, as they most commonly associate it with the ideas of medical experiments and dangerous medicines.   In terms of screening, the barometer concludes that it could be more successful in our country if the screening was promoted more. 24.2% of our co-nationals are not interested in screening as they believe it’s no point in going to the doctor if nothing hurts.   18.8% won’t accept the idea of screening for they associate it with an unclear procedure, which can change their status from healthy to sick.   On the chapter of smoking and alcohol consumption, the barometer reveals they have increased in the past year. The most probable explanation is that this rise is related to the work-from-home, stress, boredom, sedentary life, the lack of socializing or to the bans of smoking in closed spaces and of drinking alcohol during the working hours.   The survey also disclosed that Romanians do not trust the private health insurances. Although the private clinics are better regarded as the state hospitals, the associated costs are a major discontent of the population.   The Romanian who don’t have private social insurances or subscriptions say that: -the state health insurances are enough (47%) -they would pay private health insurances, but they cannot afford (29%) -they don’t trust private insurances(15,1%).