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Most patients satisfied with PCP, many frustrated by high costs

Nine out 10 U.S. adults reported high levels of satisfaction with their primary care provider, according to a survey commissioned by the nonprofit Physicians Foundation.

However, the survey results also show that a majority of primary care patients are concerned about being able to pay for medical treatment if they get sick or injured. In a statement, the Physicians Foundation added that concerns over the high cost of care are causing more than a quarter of patients to forego treatment.

“The preservation of the physician-patient relationship is fundamental to the success of our health care system, and it is heartening to learn that more than nine out of 10 patients are highly satisfied with the primary care physician,” Walker Ray, MD, president of the Physicians Foundation, said in a press release. “The foundation is, however, very concerned over the number of U.S. adults avoiding routine care and treatment plans due to health care costs.”

The online survey was conducted by Harris Poll, a Nielsen company, on behalf of the Physicians Foundation in February. Respondents included 1,511 adults in the United States between the ages of 27 and 75, who had two visits with the same PCP in the past year.

According to the poll, 95% of patients are satisfied or very satisfied with their PCP’s ability to explain information in a manner they understand, and 96% feel their physicians show them the proper amount of respect. In addition, 93% were either satisfied or very satisfied with how well their PCP listened to them during their most recent exam, and 92% reported high levels of satisfaction regarding their physician’s knowledge of their medical history.

However, 62% said they are concerned with being able to pay for treatment if they get sick or injured, and 48% were not confident they could afford care should by become seriously ill. In addition, 28% reported skipping a medical test, treatment or follow-up appointment, or otherwise avoided visiting a physician for a medical problem, in the past 12 months due to costs. According to the poll, 27% avoided filling a prescription in the past 12 months, citing costs as a primary factor.

“The responses we saw in our survey regarding non- or partial-compliance with care plans due to financial pressures must be a red flag for everyone invested in improving patient care,” Ray said. “It is incumbent upon the entire health care community to ensure patients have access to quality health care services that they feel they can actually afford.”

When asked give a specific driver of high health care costs, 59% of respondents said prescription drugs, while 33% blamed fraud, 28% cited social conditions and poverty, 26% said government mandates, and 25% cited an aging population.

In addition, respondents were asked how much different parties impact the treatment options available to them. According to the poll, 83% said insurance companies, followed by 79% who said physicians, 68% said pharmaceutical companies, 60% favored federal legislature and 54% said state legislatures.

“Patients recognize that there is an array of stakeholders and external influences that affect treatment options and, in effect, clinical autonomy,” Rip Hollister, MD, a practicing PCP and Physicians Foundation board member, said in a press release. “Historically, treatment plans have been developed between the doctor and patient. Yet, patients understand that there are now many other parties ‘in the room,’ so to speak, which complicates and challenges the manner in which physicians practice medicine.” – by Jason Laday

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