• A majority of respondents said that they would refer patients to a medical imaging facility in which they had financial ties, although only 24% would inform patients of their financial ties;
  
  
• 96% of respondents said that physicians should place the welfare of their patients above their financial interests;
  
  
• 36% of respondents said that they would order an unnecessary MRI for patients with back pain, although most said that they oppose unnecessary use of medical resources;
  
  
• 93% of respondents said that physicians should provide medical care to patients who cannot afford to pay, and 69% said that they accept patients who lack health insurance (Lee, Washington Post, 12/4);
  
  
• 98% of respondents said that physicians should seek to reduce health care disparities based on gender or race, although only 25% said that they have sought to identify such disparities (Stanchak, CQ HealthBeat, 12/3); and
  
  
• Less than 1% of respondents said that they had lied to the family of a patient in the past three years, and 3% said that they had withheld information.

Comments
Campbell said, "We found large gaps between physicians' espoused attitudes and what they do in actual practice," adding, "Failing to report incompetent physicians and allowing them to practice will have an impact on the welfare of patients. It's clearly something that people should be aware of" (Washington Post, 12/4). In addition, Campbell said, "This raises serious questions about the ability of the medical profession to regulate itself" (CQ HealthBeat, 12/3).

David Blumenthal, a co-author of the study and director of the Institute for Health Policy, called for an increased focus on professional standards among physicians, rather than increased regulations, to address the issue. He said, "If the medical board and regulatory apparatus were monstrous, it wouldn't solve our problems," adding, "Sure, regulation has an important role. Yes, patient information has an important role. But in the end, if the profession doesn't step up, we will all be the worse for it" (Washington Post, 12/4).

An abstract of the study is available online.

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.