Survey: Hospital brand loyalty drives care access decisions

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<p>New survey <a href="https://health.usnews.com/health-care/best-hospitals/articles/how-patients-choose-hospitals-key-priorities-from-the-2026-us-news-survey">data</a> from U.S. News & World Report shows that hospital brand loyalty is one of the biggest drivers of patients' care access decisions, cementing consumer engagement as a must-have in today's healthcare landscape.</p> <p>The survey, which included 500 people in the U.S. who've sought care for themselves or a loved one in the past 24 months, revealed that most folks are interested in receiving all or most of their care within a single hospital system. When choosing a new healthcare provider, most (53%) patients either choose a hospital first or select a hospital and a provider at the same time.</p> <p>According to the researchers, this indicates that patients want a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366584447/Benefits-of-Care-Coordination-Tick-Up-with-Patient-Activation">cohesive healthcare experience</a>, with their doctor being affiliated with their hospital or health system of choice.</p> <p>Still, hospital brand loyalty hasn't completely taken over. The survey showed that patients who've built a relationship with a healthcare provider remain most interested in maintaining it. Specifically, 80% of patients would switch hospital systems, not providers, if their <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/feature/What-does-usual-source-of-care-mean-in-healthcare">usual source of care</a> were to make a switch.</p> <p>But that remaining 20% of patients are notable. It shows that a sizeable group of patients is prioritizing where they'd receive hospital care, potentially marking a shift toward hospital brand loyalty.</p> <p>"When patients seek care for a new health issue, they aren't just choosing a single provider -- they are choosing a comprehensive care partner for their full spectrum of care," Sumita Singh, executive vice president and general manager of Health at U.S. News, said in a <a href="https://www.usnews.com/info/blogs/press-room/articles/2026-07-20/u-s-news-survey-growing-importance-of-hospital-and-health-system-brands-in-patient-healthcare-decisions">press release</a>. "This strong hospital brand loyalty shows that consumers highly value the safety, technology and coordinated care that a trusted healthcare system provides."</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How do patients pick healthcare providers?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How do patients pick healthcare providers?</h2> <p>Of course, patients' decisions to find a new provider are more complex than brand affiliation. According to U.S. News, patients' decisions come down to various factors, including:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Clinical expertise/success rates (22%)</li> <li>Years of experience (17%)</li> <li>Location (17%)</li> <li>Referral from another clinician (17%)</li> <li>Patient experience ratings (10%)</li> <li>Referral from friends/family (9%)</li> <li>Gender, language or cultural compatibility (8%)</li> </ul> <p>There's also <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366584760/Travel-Times-Still-a-Challenge-for-Rural-Health-Access-Disparities">hospital or office location</a> to account for, the survey continued. Notably, the extent to which patients consider location differs depending on the type of care they access.</p> <p>Overall, convenient location is essential for patients. But between routine visits and more specialized care, some patients are more flexible, the survey revealed.</p> <p>For example, nearly two-thirds of respondents (62%) said office location was very important when accessing routine care. When accessing more specialized care, a third of patients said they'd be willing to drive more than three hours.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Where do patients find information about clinicians?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Where do patients find information about clinicians?</h2> <p>Before patients can book an appointment, they need to actually <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366591748/Most-patients-find-new-doc-online-via-provider-directories">find a doctor</a>. And despite evolving technology, this process isn't changing, the U.S. News data showed.</p> <p>The referral is still king, with patients rating a provider referral a 4 out of 5 on a trustworthiness scale. Patients are also fairly trusting of online directories or hospital websites, ranking them 3.5-3.7 out of 5, the survey showed.</p> <p>But perhaps the biggest finding was the trust patients place in newer communication channels, such as social media, podcasts and even AI chatbots. Although industry experts have flagged these as emerging patient engagement channels, patients don't entirely trust them, rating them at 2.7-2.8 out of 5 on the trustworthiness scale.</p> <p>That doesn't mean patients are starting to experiment with AI-powered provider search. Earlier this year, data from rater8 showed that nearly <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366643954/Almost-half-of-patients-use-AI-for-online-provider-search">half of patients are using AI for online provider search</a>. To that end, healthcare organizations must stay abreast of emerging best practices, especially as they pertain to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/feature/AI-provider-search-is-here-How-can-health-orgs-stay-visible">AI search visibility</a>.</p> <p>However, the U.S. News survey confirms that patients still value the relationships they've developed with their providers, whether it's trust in a provider's referral or willingness to follow a provider to a new health system.</p> <p>Still, it would be prudent for health systems to also catch onto the growing emphasis healthcare consumers place on hospital brand loyalty.</p> <p>Patients are seeking a seamless and connected care experience, from outpatient routine care to any relevant inpatient stays. This will require organizations to focus on a range of issues from patient loyalty to staff retention.</p> <p><em>Sara Heath is an executive editor at Xtelligent Healthcare Media, where she covers patient engagement, healthcare policy and health IT.</em></p> </section>