Relationship between Community Perception of Hospital COVID-19 Response and Future use

Introduction : Rural residents often bypass their community hospitals resulting in hospital financial distress and closure. To increase utilization, rural hospitals may benefit from increased community visibility and active community engagement. The COVID-19 pandemic response efforts may have brought increased attention to the value and capacity of hospitals in rural communities. Thus, we sought to assess whether rural residents’ satisfaction with their local hospital’s pandemic response was associated with improved community perception of the hospital and an intent to use it in the future.

Method: We used data from 671 rural residents obtained from 6 South Georgia rural communities (N=761) from October 2021- April 2022, collected as part of their respective hospitals’ community health needs assessments (CHNA). The outcome variables for the study were the intent to use the hospital and improvement in the community's perception of the hospital, measured with binary indicators. The key independent variable was a binary indicator assessing rural community residents’ satisfaction with their local hospital’s COVID-19 response. We controlled for sex, age, race, marital status, income, health insurance, education, and overall satisfaction with hospital care. Data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression, with standard errors clustered at the county level.

Results: Community residents’ satisfaction with their local rural hospital’s COVID-19 response was positively associated with an improved perception of the hospital (OR= 7.82, 95% CI= 4.13 – 14.79; p

Conclusion : Rural hospitals’ COVID-response efforts may have contributed to improved community perception, creating the opportunity for increased utilization.