Medical studentsʼ unfamiliarity with the cost of diagnostic tests

Doctors’ knowledge of the costs of medical care

“…Even in the United States, where payment is based on fee for service and doctors have a personal financial interest in the costs of their activities, the medical profession appears to be no more knowledgeable about clinical costs (Dresnick et al , 1979; Robertson, 1980; Skipper et al , 1975; Nagurney et al , 1979). In one survey doctors were able to assign a correct cost (to within $1) to an average of only three out of seventeen items which appeared frequently on hospital bills (Dresnick et al , 1979).…”

“…In one survey doctors were able to assign a correct cost (to within $1) to an average of only three out of seventeen items which appeared frequently on hospital bills (Dresnick et al , 1979). Doctors and medical students were able to estimate the cost of commonly used diagnostic tests to within ±25% of the real cost (Robertson 1980; Skipper et al , 1975) on only one third of occasions. These surveys have shown almost no differences in performance between senior and junior medical staff (Dresnick et al , 1979; Robertson, 1980; Skipper et al , 1975; Nagurney et al , 1979) and between doctors and students (Dresnick et al , 1979; Robertson, 1980).…”

Physician Use of Services for the Hospitalized Patient: A Review, with Implications for Cost Containment

“…Other factors also contribute to potential overuse of services. Physicians may be ignorant of the prices of services; in a number of hospitals, phy sicians have been quizzed on the charges for frequently ordered tests and procedures (Skipper et al, 1975(Skipper et al, , 1976Kelly, 1978;Dresnick et al, 1979;Nagurney et al, 1979;Kirkland, 1979). In most in stances the majority of estimates were clearly erroneous, usually on the side of underestimating the charges.…”

Undergraduate education in the cost-effective use of laboratory and radiological investigations in clinical decision-making

“…Accounts of misuse and overuse of investigations have appeared in the American literature (e.g., Griner & Liptzin, 1971; Dixon & Laszlo, 1975); the British literature in this field is sparse. It has been alleged that one factor contributing to inappropriate use of investigations is inadequate education (McClenahan, 1970; Casscells, Schoenberger & Graboys, 1978); medical students were unfamiliar with the costs of diagnostic tests (Skipper, et al , 1975), and a recent survey (Catchlove, et al , 1978) showed that Australian interns (pre‐registration house officers) were ignorant about the current costs of diagnostic procedures. They were critical of both the quantity and quality of undergraduate teaching that they had received in this area.…”