Study: ’Cowboy’ physicians may be a $500B problem

A National Bureau of Economic Research paper contends that “cowboy” physicians—those who deviate from professional guidelines, and often providing more aggressive care than is recommended—are responsible for a significant portion of U.S. health costs. The paper concludes that “36% of end-of-life spending, and 17 percent of U.S. healthcare spending, are associated with physician beliefs unsupported by clinical evidence,” stated Carey Goldberg, in a post on WBUR’s CommonHealth blog.

Source: WBUR