This partnership survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and The Washington Post examines the experiences and attitudes of frontline health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic. These individuals, who work across many different health care fields including doctors and nurses, nursing home managers, front desk clerks, as well as those who assist with patient care such as bathing, eating, cleaning, exercising, or housekeeping, have been on the front lines of an industry providing care for the sickest adults.

The project includes interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,327 frontline health care workers (those with direct contact with patients and their bodily fluids), representing hospitals, doctors’ offices, outpatient clinics, nursing homes and assisted care facilities, and those working in home health care. The sample includes workers who work in many, and multiple, aspects of patient care. The project also includes a comparison survey allowing researchers to compare the group of frontline health care workers to the general population, that included 971 U.S. adults not working as frontline health care workers.

This is the first release from this comprehensive survey focusing on the intentions among frontline health care workers to get vaccinated, and the factors influencing those decisions. Upcoming releases will focus on the emotional, physical, and financial toll of the last year on frontline health care workers.

This survey is the 35th in a series of surveys dating back to 1995 that have been conducted as a part of The Washington Post/KFF Survey Project.

Read The Washington Post’s reporting on frontline health care workers:

More than 4 in 10 health-care workers have not been vaccinated, Post-KFF poll finds

Yes, vaccine skepticism exists among health-care workers — but far less so among top medical professionals

Should health-care workers be required to get coronavirus shots? Companies grapple with mandates.

Stress on the front lines of covid-19: Health-care workers share the hardest parts of working during the pandemic.

Burned out by the pandemic, 3 in 10 health-care workers consider leaving the profession

Vaccine Intentions

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The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.