title: Knowledge of medical charges.
abstract: Ignorance of medical charges by decision-makers could handicap cost control programs. By written survey, we determined the ability and confidence of 267 adults, including 85 health care workers, to estimate four medical charges: epidural anesthesia for childbirth, outpatient hernia surgery, dipyridamole-thallium heart stress test, and a one month supply of nicotine drug patches. Only 36% of the estimated charges fell within 50% of the actual charges for the four medical services. Accuracy did not differ among physicians, non-physician health care workers and consumers; estimates varied greatly with many being extremely low or high. Respondents rated medical charges significantly more difficult to estimate than non-medical. Seventy percent of respondents felt that most physicians do not know enough about medical charges to give good advice and 92% felt that they did not know enough about medical charges to make satisfactory choices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Martinec
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000191:economics; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000191:economics; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000191:economics; D005251:Fees, Medical; D005260:Female; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000191:economics; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D014903:West Virginia
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine