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Study: Role modeling a barrier to cost-conscious care

Residency Program Insider, May 19, 2017

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A survey of 3,395 students at 10 medical schools found that 90% of respondents believed that physicians have a responsibility to contain healthcare costs but nearly half also said they would rather order a test than explain why it is unnecessary. The results of the survey, published in Academic Medicine, found that most students observed physicians displaying potentially wasteful role-modeling behavior, such as ordering several tests at the same time instead of waiting for initial screening test results and repeating tests instead of obtaining recent test results.

Students did report seeing physicians model cost-conscious behaviors too. About 90% of respondents reported seeing a physician explain to patients why a test was unnecessary, point out examples of waste, and discuss the costs of care with team members when making care decisions.

Source: Academic Medicine

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