Table 3 Physicians’ attention and agreement regarding their role in containing health care costs

I am aware of the costs of the tests/treatments I recommend

16 (4.1%)

55 (14.2%)

277 (71.3%)

40 (10.3%)

I try not to think about the cost to the health care system when making treatment decisions^a

25 (6.5%)

248 (63.8%)

77 (19.9%)

38 (9.8%)

I should sometimes deny beneficial but costly services to certain patients because resources should go to other patients that need them more

31 (8.0%)

72 (18.6%)

267 (68.7%)

18 (4.7%)

Cost to society is important in my decisions to use or not to use an intervention^a

10 (2.6%)

68 (17.6%)

291 (74.7%)

20 (5.2%)

Physicians should adhere to clinical guidelines that discourage the use of interventions that have a small proven advantage over standard interventions but cost much more*

17 (4.4%)

53 (13.7%)

284 (72.9%)

35 (9.0%)

The cost of a test or medication is only important if the patient has to pay for it out of pocket^a

34 (8.8%)

267 (68.7%)

62 (16.0%)

25 (6.5%)

Doctors are too busy to worry about costs of tests and procedures^a

23 (5.9%)

272 (70.0%)

65 (16.8%)

28 (7.2%)

Trying to contain costs is the responsibility of every physician^a

12 (3.1%)

64 (16.5%)

286 (73.4%)

27 (7.0%)

There is currently too much emphasis on costs of tests and procedures^a

10 (2.6%)

56 (14.5%)

296 (76.0%)

27 (7.0%)

Doctors need to take a more prominent role in limiting use of unnecessary tests^a

7 (1.8%)

47 (12.1%)

284 (73.1%)

50 (12.9%)

It is unfair to ask physicians to be cost-conscious and keep the welfare of their patients foremost in their minds^a

18 (4.7%)

294 (75.5%)

62 (16.0%)

15 (3.9%)

I should be solely devoted to my individual patients’ best interests, even if that is expensive^a

28 (7.2%)

275 (70.8%)

63 (16.3%)

22 (5.7%)

Decision support tools that show costs would be helpful in my practice^a

11 (2.8%)

49 (12.7%)

286 (73.4%)

43 (11.1%)