Study: Role Modeling a Barrier to Cost-Conscious Care

The study’s authors suggest that putting a greater emphasis on role modeling in the learning environment may better prepare future physicians to address healthcare costs.

This article was originally published in Residency Program Insider, May 19, 2017.

Ninety percent of medical students 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, according to a study published in Academic Medicine.

Researchers survey nearly 3,400 students at 10 medical schools and found that about three-fourths of 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