525
Views
1
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

The Impact of Cost Conversations on the Patient-Physician Relationship

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon &
Pages 65-73 | Published online: 20 Oct 2017
 

ABSTRACT

Previous research has suggested that fear of harm to the patient–physician relationship is an important barrier to conversations about cost of care. However, few experimental studies have investigated the effects of cost of care conversations on the patient–physician relationship, particularly from the patient’s perspective. In the current research, we take an experimental approach to investigate patients’ attitudes and preferences for a hypothetical physician who discusses cost versus one who does not. Across three studies, using data from both the general population and cancer patients, we find that people prefer a hypothetical physician who discusses cost over one who does not (Pilot Study, Studies 1 and 2). In addition, we find that people use cost information to inform their hypothetical treatment decisions without changing their attitudes toward the physician who includes this information (Study 1). Finally, we examine how and when cost information compares to more traditional medical information (e.g., side effects; Study 2). We discuss the implications of this research for cost communications and the patient–physician relationship, highlighting that cost conversations may not be as harmful as previously thought.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Notes

1. Please note that we repeated the analyses with insurance status included as a covariate and all results remained the same.

2. Please note, as in the previous study, we repeated the analyses with insurance status as a covariate and results remained the same.

3. The scenario is available from the corresponding author.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 371.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.