Physicians: 'Major responsibility' for cutting health costs falls to others

In a recent survey assessing U.S. physicians’ attitudes toward and perceived role in addressing healthcare costs, physicians reported having some responsibility to address healthcare costs in their practice and expressed general agreement about several quality initiatives to reduce cost. However, only 36% said physicians have a “major responsibility” to do so, and a meager 7% expressed enthusiasm for “eliminating fee-for-service payment models,” according to the survey, which was posted recently online in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Respondents believe trial lawyers (60%), health insurance companies (59%), hospitals and health systems (56%), pharmaceutical and device manufacturers (56%), and patients (52%) have a “major responsibility” for reducing healthcare costs. The survey also showed 75% of respondents were “very enthusiastic” for “promoting continuity of care,” and 51% supported “expanding access to quality and safety data” and “limiting access to expensive treatments with little net benefit” as ways to reduce healthcare costs.