What Do Physicians Think About Their Responsibility for Controlling Healthcare Costs?

Physicians' views about controlling healthcare costs might be helpful in developing effective policies. To assess physicians' attitudes toward and perceived responsibility for controlling healthcare costs, researchers surveyed a random sample of 2556 U.S. physicians (mean age, 51; 70% men), most of whom were in group or salaried practices (only 15% were in government or academic settings).

Roughly 60% of respondents said trial lawyers, health insurance companies, hospitals and health systems, and pharmaceutical and device manufacturers have the major responsibility for lowering healthcare costs, as opposed to physicians themselves (36%) and professional societies (27%); 52% of physicians assigned major responsibility to patients. About 90% o…