Results from a recent study suggest physicians may be recommending different treatments to their patients than they would choose for themselves, according to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
For their study, researchers surveyed primary care physicians and presented each physician with one of two clinical scenarios. Both scenarios involved two treatment options, one of which demonstrated a greater chance of survival but resulted in "unpleasant" adverse effects.
Among 242 physicians who were "faced" with a colon cancer scenario, 37.8 percent chose the treatment with a higher death rate for themselves, while 24.5 percent would have recommended the same treatment to a patient. Similarly, among 698 physicians "faced" with the avian influenza scenario, 62.9 percent chose the outcome with the higher death rate for themselves, while only 48.5 percent recommended the same treatment for patients.
Read the study about physicians' recommendations for themselves vs. patients.
Read other coverage about hospital quality:
- HHS to Invest Up to $1B for New Patient Safety Initiative
- Study: Hospital Errors Occurring 10 Times More Than Previously Detected
- CMS Proposes Rule on Payment Adjustment for Provider-Preventable Conditions
For their study, researchers surveyed primary care physicians and presented each physician with one of two clinical scenarios. Both scenarios involved two treatment options, one of which demonstrated a greater chance of survival but resulted in "unpleasant" adverse effects.
Among 242 physicians who were "faced" with a colon cancer scenario, 37.8 percent chose the treatment with a higher death rate for themselves, while 24.5 percent would have recommended the same treatment to a patient. Similarly, among 698 physicians "faced" with the avian influenza scenario, 62.9 percent chose the outcome with the higher death rate for themselves, while only 48.5 percent recommended the same treatment for patients.
Read the study about physicians' recommendations for themselves vs. patients.
Read other coverage about hospital quality:
- HHS to Invest Up to $1B for New Patient Safety Initiative
- Study: Hospital Errors Occurring 10 Times More Than Previously Detected
- CMS Proposes Rule on Payment Adjustment for Provider-Preventable Conditions