Physician strategies to reduce patients' out-of-pocket prescription costs.
BACKGROUND
Physicians often do not communicate with patients about out-of-pocket costs, although research indicates that physicians and patients value such discussion.


METHODS
Cross-sectional national random sample mail survey of 1400 cardiologists and general internists to quantify barriers to communication about out-of-pocket costs and strategies used to assist patients in order of likelihood (from 5 [extremely likely] to 1 [not at all likely]).


RESULTS
Overall, 519 (39.1%) of 1328 eligible physicians responded to the survey. The most common barriers were lack of habit, insufficient time, and concern over patient discomfort. The most common strategies used to assist patients were switching to a generic drug (mean, 4.34; SD, 0.86), using office samples (mean, 4.16; SD, 1.22), and discontinuing nonessential medicines (mean, 4.03; SD, 0.99). There were no statistically significant differences between cardiologists and general internists in barriers or strategies examined (P<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that patient-physician communication about out-of-pocket costs is a problem affecting specialists and generalists nationwide. Despite barriers, physicians use multiple strategies that may vary in efficacy to assist patients burdened by these costs.
Alexander
G Caleb
GC
Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, MacLean Center for Medical Ethics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. galexand@uchicago.edu
Casalino
Lawrence P
LP
Meltzer
David O
DO
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002309:Cardiology; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011306:Prescription Fees; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States