Patient demands not to blame for increased healthcare costs

According to a study by the JAMA Network, physicians commonly believe that patients are playing a role in the rising costs of healthcare by demanding or requesting unnecessary tests or treatments, but such requests are fulfilled at a very low rate. Below are some of the data findings:

• 440 out of the 5,050 patient/clinician encounters involved a patient demand or request.
• Clinicians deemed 50 out of the 440 patient/clinician encounters to be appropriate.
• Of those 50 inappropriate demands, clinicians complied with 7 of them.
• 216 out of the 440 patient demands were for imaging studies. (49.1%)
• 68 out of the 440 patient demands were for palliative treatments, excluding chemotherapy. (15.5%)
• 60 out of the 440 patient demands were for laboratory tests. (13.6%)

Source: JAMA Network