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How do physicians respond to patients’ requests for costly, unindicated services?

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Journal of General Internal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To determine how physicians respond to a request for an expensive, unindicated test.

Design

Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting

Four sites of a group-model HMO.

Participants

Thirty-nine internist volunteers.

Intervention

A standardized patient requesting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head to rule out multiple sclerosis (MS) was inserted unanncounced into physicians’ regular schedules. The patient’s only complaint was fatigue with no neurologic symptoms.

Measurements and main results

Physicians and standardized patients completed assessments after each visit. Thirty-five (90%) of 39 physicians “had no idea” that the patient they saw was the standardized patients, and the remaining four participants (10%) were only “somewhat suspicious”. Three (8%) of the physicians agreed to the MRI at the initial visit, and eight (22%) said they might order an MRI in the future. All doctors who refused the MRI told the patient this was based on lack of a medical indication for the test; seven (19%) also cited the test’s expense. Twenty physicians (53%) of 38 agreed to a neurology referral. In response to the standardized patient’s concerns, nine physicians (23%) verbalized that MS is scary, and four (10%) asked the patients about their friend’s experience with MS. A few physicians appeared to dismiss the patient’s concerns, such as by telling the patient they were being “paranoid”.

Conclusions

Few physicians agreed to a standardized patient’s request for a medically unindicated MRI, but more than half agreed to refer this patients to a specialist. As physicians practice cost-conscious medicine, they may need to focus on good communication to maintain patient satisfaction.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

    Thomas H. Gallagher MD, Bernard Lo MD & Margaret Chesney PhD

  2. The Permanente Medical Group, Northern California

    Kate Christensen MD

  3. Division of General Medical Sciences, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8005, 660 S. Euclid Ave., 63110, St. Louis, Mo

    Thomas H. Gallagher MD

Authors
  1. Thomas H. Gallagher MD
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  2. Bernard Lo MD
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  3. Margaret Chesney PhD
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  4. Kate Christensen MD
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Additional information

Supported by grants from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program.

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Gallagher, T.H., Lo, B., Chesney, M. et al. How do physicians respond to patients’ requests for costly, unindicated services?. J GEN INTERN MED 12, 663–668 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1997.07137.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1997.07137.x

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