PR Newswire
Quest’s second “Know Your Health” survey explores Americans’ perceptions and priorities on their well-being in 2025
Nearly one-third of Americans say their doctors/HCPs do not take the time to discuss preventive care and wellness with them; More than half of millennials, Gen Z cite barriers to accessing medical care
SECAUCUS, N.J.
, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — questhealth.com, the consumer-initiated testing platform from Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), one of the nation’s leading providers of diagnostic information services, today revealed the results of its second “Know Your Health” survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll among nearly 2,100 U.S. adults. Findings revealed that most Americans are eager to take an active role in their healthcare journey, with 92% actively preparing for their future health and healthcare needs, but many experience barriers to receiving care, feel their doctors do not focus enough on preventive care and wellness discussions, and have gaps in knowledge on important personal health information.
“For too long, Americans have been passive recipients of their healthcare and health information,” says Richard Adams, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer at Quest Diagnostics. “As the survey shows, many Americans are motivated to take charge of their health, but they may be experiencing barriers to accessing care through traditional channels and are unsure of where to go for support. At Quest, we’re turning that traditional model on its head by giving people access to physician-guided diagnostic lab testing so they can proactively manage their health and feel empowered on their wellness journey.”
Prioritizing Personal Health in a World Dominated by Digital
In today’s world of constant connectivity, it’s surprising how often our own health stats fall by the wayside. In fact, the survey revealed that 2 in 5 Americans (40%) know their streaming platform passwords by heart, while only 19% know their cholesterol score. Cholesterol levels can be tested with a blood test, helping identify whether someone may be at risk of developing heart disease—insights that might not otherwise be known, as someone with high cholesterol does not always exhibit symptoms.
Family medical history, which can help identify increased risk of certain hereditary conditions, seemed to be lower on the priority list for younger generations, with more than half of Gen Z ages 18-28 (56%) knowing their streaming platform passwords by heart compared to their family medical history (31%).
“Family medical history and insights from laboratory testing help serve as a blueprint for one’s health — it gives individuals and medical professionals clues to assess the likelihood of developing certain conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and even some cancers, in the future,” said Mark Kruzel, MD, Medical Director for questhealth.com. “As a physician, it concerns me that many individuals surveyed want to be healthy, but aren’t aware of basic health risks, which can often be lowered with preemptive behaviors.”
Social media has also continued to be a driving force for Americans’ health habits, with 1 in 4 Americans (24%) admitting they get advice about health topics from social media influencers. Furthermore, one-third (33%) of Americans have acknowledged seeking medical care or testing after seeing someone’s personal health stories shared on social media, and that jumps to more than half for Gen Z (52%) and Millennials ages 29-44 (51%).
The Power of Healthy Habits
After navigating the unique challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presented, Americans seem to be back on track with their personal health. In fact, 7 in 10 Americans (70%) rate their current health as good (54%) or excellent (16%). In comparison, 3 in 10 Americans (30%) describe their current overall health as fair (26%) or poor (5%). Among Americans who describe their overall health as fair or poor, more than half believe stress (60%), poor sleep (55%), and lack of exercise (51%) are contributing to their current health, while 3 in 10 say loneliness/isolation (30%) is a contributing factor.
When it comes to healthy habits that Americans view as a priority, sleep is king. In fact, 71% of Americans say that good sleep tops this list, followed by proper hydration (65%) and regular exercise (62%). More than half of Americans say they prioritize taking vitamins and supplements (59%), eating a well-balanced diet (54%), and going for an annual physical (53%). In regard to annual appointments and lab testing, nearly half of Americans say getting bloodwork done each year (47%) and keeping up with preventive screenings (45%) are a priority to them.
Planning for a Healthier Future
“Planning for a healthy future is about making daily informed decisions that invest in your overall well-being. Diagnostic testing can help provide valuable insights to help guide us, together with our healthcare providers, on steps to manage our overall health. Our health is the foundation of everything we do, and the best time to start investing in it is today,” said Dr. Kruzel.
A compelling majority of Americans (92%) are actively preparing for their future health and healthcare needs. About 3 in 5 Americans are doing so by trying to stay physically active (60%) and attempting to maintain a healthy diet (57%). More specifically, Boomers ages 61-79 (67%) are more likely than Gen Z (45%) or Millennials (58%) to say they try to stay physically active to prepare for their future health/health care needs.
Preventive care also plays a key role, with about half of Americans focusing on regular checkups and screenings (51%) and relying on advice from doctors and healthcare professionals (49%) to help them identify their potential health risks early on. More than a quarter (27%) also use health apps or wearables to track vital signs, activity levels, and/or sleep patterns to stay on top of their well-being and make lifestyle adjustments based on the data.
Navigating the Healthcare Landscape
While Americans say they are prioritizing healthy behaviors—and 31% are trying to stay informed about changes in healthcare policies that could impact them—they also cite challenges to accessing care. More than 1 in 3 Americans (37%) say they experienced barriers to receiving medical care in the past 12 months, ranging from long waits for scheduling appointments (10%) and being unsure about insurance coverage (9%) to potential cost considerations of lab work (8%). Barriers increased significantly with each generation: 12% of Boomers, 30% of Gen X ages 45-60, 53% of Millennials, and 62% of Gen Z. Additionally, 30% of Americans agree their doctor/health care professional does not take the time to talk to them about prevention and wellness.
The survey also explored Americans’ understanding of alternative modes of accessing healthcare. As it stands, nearly 2 in 3 Americans (63%) do not know it is possible to purchase their own lab tests without a doctor’s visit. As Americans continue to focus on their health, building awareness of this pathway can help broaden testing accessibility and help people gain a better understanding of insights that can impact their overall health.
Questhealth.com provides access to consumer-initiated lab testing ranging from comprehensive health panels and STD tests to hormone health panels and tests to help identify or monitor chronic disease. While individuals can purchase tests online without a prior doctor’s visit, a third-party physician reviews all test requests and is available to review results and, for some conditions, provide a prescription for treatment.
“Consumer-initiated lab testing through Quest makes the process simple for consumers by providing access to the same quality lab tests that doctors use and recommend by way of questhealth.com, with the benefit of physician-guided care,” said Dr. Kruzel.
For more information, please visit questhealth.com.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Quest Diagnostics from March 11-13, 2025, among 2,087 adults ages 18+. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].
About questhealth.com
Quest empowers individuals with affordable, high-quality, trusted healthcare. The consumer-initiated test platform, questhealth.com, gives consumers more control over their own healthcare journeys, providing access to the same quality lab tests that doctors use and recommend, offering valuable information and insights about their health. questhealth.com offers more than 100 Quest Diagnostics lab tests in categories ranging from heart health and sexual health to allergies, fitness, and so much more. Tests available on questhealth.com also include physician oversight from an independent, third-party physician network, including test ordering and availability of a licensed physician to discuss test results. Consumers must be 18+ to purchase, and orders are not permitted in AK, AZ, or HI. For more information, please visit questhealth.com.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics works across the healthcare ecosystem to create a healthier world, one life at a time. We provide diagnostic insights from the results of our laboratory testing to empower people, physicians and organizations to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from one of the world’s largest databases of de-identifiable clinical lab results, Quest’s diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve healthcare management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our more than 55,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives and create a healthier world. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
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