Pharmaceutical and biotech companies have the biggest effect on healthcare costs, most healthcare providers told an NEJM Catalyst Buzz survey.
The survey, sponsored by Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Health, was conducted by NEJM Catalyst in April among 571 NEJM Catalyst Insights Council members. Council members include U.S. executives, clinical leaders and clinicians at healthcare delivery organizations.
Four survey findings:
1. Sixty-two percent said out-of-pocket expenses are "extremely important" to patients, while 32 percent said they are "very important" to patients.
2. Seventy-six percent of respondents said the cost to practice/system is considered in clinical decisions at their organization.
3. Nearly all respondents (90 percent) agree healthcare costs are too difficult to understand in the current payer environment, and 86 percent agree physicians aren't trained to talk about healthcare costs. Additionally, 78 percent agree tools necessary for cost estimates to patients are unavailable, and 64 percent agree there is a lack of time in clinic to talk about treatment costs with patients.
4. Eighty-seven percent of respondents said they believe pharmaceutical/biotech companies have the biggest effect on healthcare costs, followed by payers, such as health plans, health maintenance organizations and insurers (81 percent). Only 28 percent said they believe individual clinicians have a strong effect.
Read the full survey results here.
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