RESEARCH
The 2026 Physician Sentiment Survey: 1,000+ clinicians speak out on what matters
After surveying more than 1,000 physicians nationwide across specialties, practice sizes, and locations, this report examines how AI, policy changes, evolving care models, and financial pressures are shaping where healthcare may be headed next. Explore the interactive findings below to see what’s influencing physician perspectives across the industry.
Here’s a snapshot of what we found:
52%
42%
67%
Research driving the conversation
Financially steady but under pressure
Physicians say they’re on stable financial ground today, but the future feels less certain. As complexity increases, practices are rethinking what financial resilience looks like — a shift you can see using the interactive dropdowns.
A new #1 concern: Access to affordable care
Even more than minimizing their own documentation burden, physicians want policy makers to prioritize patient access to affordable care. No other policy issue comes close.
Interested in VBC but wary of taking on risk
Physicians see the potential of value-based care, but their comfort with shared risk remains low. Their barriers are structural: resource constraints, administrative burdens, uncertainty about financial accountability.
AI: Relief for some, others still skeptical
Does AI have a place in healthcare? One thing is clear: physicians who do use it are more optimistic about healthcare than those who don’t.
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Source: 2026 Physician Sentiment Survey, fielded by Harris Poll