Physicians Perceive That Patients Receive Excessive Care

Health services and economics research suggest that much healthcare in the U.S. is unnecessary. To assess physicians' perceptions of this issue, investigators surveyed 600 practicing primary care physicians (evenly split between family medicine and internal medicine; median practice experience, 24 years).

Nearly half (42%) believed their own patients were receiving too much medical care in general; 6% thought their patients received too little care. About one quarter reported that they and other primary care physicians were too aggressive in their care (e.g., ordering more tests and referrals than necessary). In contrast, 47% believed that nurse practitioners and physician assistants were too aggressive, and 61% believed that subspecialists …