Author: Nick Arias, Research & Insights Assistant, RAB
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but many patients still prefer to visit their doctors frequently. According to IBISWorld, a total of 1 billion physician visits have occurred in 2025 to date – an indication of the importance of healthcare by consumers.
Eighty-five percent of Americans trust their personal doctor a great or a fair amount for health information, per the 2025 Axios/Ipsos American Health Index. While trust should be a key factor, patients believe that trust shouldn’t just be earned but also maintained. A Physician’s Weekly article cited a study that patients look for respect from their doctor. Respect, in a patient’s view, shows that the doctor listens to them and sees them as an individual.
Building patients’ trust in their doctors’ care is just as vital as offering the latest medical technology. To maintain strong relationships and grow their practice, healthcare providers should communicate using a medium that is both trusted and trustworthy – broadcast radio.
Radio reaches eight in ten adults who see a doctor regularly for check-ups. And radio listeners are good patients. According to MRI-Simmons, 71% of radio listeners follow what their doctor tells them to do. When radio listeners are under the weather, they turn to their physician for care – 64% believe it is important to do so.
Radio listeners have specific perspectives on treatments and physical visits. While 59% are willing to challenge their doctors recommendations, it may be due to some information they have already received. Six in 10 radio listeners will research treatment options. This may be important for healthcare professionals to know and address. A physician’s willingness to work with their patients on treatments might be a good item to address in a radio commercial. Ease in appointment scheduling is important too, as 69% of radio listeners are willing to use video chat to connect with their physician.
Where medical practices can reach current or potential patients is just as important as how to reach them. Of radio listeners who see a doctor regularly, 85% typically listen to the radio in their cars on weekdays and 70% do so on weekends. Connecting with them at home is easy too – reaching 39% on weekdays and 41% on weekends, per MRI-Simmons.
In healthcare, trust is everything. Patients want to know they’re not just receiving cutting-edge treatment – they want to be in caring, capable hands. That trust begins with connection. Radio, with its familiar voice and deep community roots, offers medical practices a powerful way to stay close to their patients. It’s a medium that feels personal, reliable and real. By using a trusted and broad reach medium like radio, healthcare providers can build lasting relationships, strengthen their reputation and become more than a place of care—they become a source of comfort, hope and healing.
This post was originally published on Radio Matters.