73% of US physicians can't easily test for COVID-19, survey finds

About 73 percent of U.S. physicians reported being unable to test patients for COVID-19 quickly and easily, according to a recent Doximity survey.

Researchers analyzed data from a survey sent to Doximity members, an online professional network consisting of about 70 percent of U.S. physicians. The survey, sent to registered physicians via email between March 21 and March 24, was completed by 2,615 physicians.

Four survey findings:

1. The majority — 73.3 percent — of U.S. physicians surveyed said they were unable to test patients for COVID-19 quickly and easily, while 17.5 percent were able to and 9.2 percent were unsure.

2. When asked if their hospital or clinic had sufficient medical supplies if the pandemic worsens, 77.5 percent of physicians said no, 12.2 percent said yes and 10.4 percent said they did not know.

3. Almost 70 percent of physicians said the government hadn't taken appropriate measures to support the medical supply chain and ensure that hospitals or clinics had necessary supplies, while 14.9 percent said it had and 15.2 percent were unsure.

4. The majority (59.1 percent) of physicians said there were not enough precautions in their clinical setting to make them feel protected while treating suspected COVID-19 patients, while 33.4 percent said they felt protected and 7.6 percent didn't know.

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