Why patients don't comply with recommended care plans
More than half of the 2,286 US adults polled online have questioned or chosen to forgo recommended care by their physician.
More than half of the 2,286 US adults polled online have questioned or chosen to forgo recommended care by their physician. The reason: Patients "believe that doctors make treatment decisions for reasons unrelated to their condition," according to a summary of the poll in Medical Economics (11/18/05).
Patients believe that physicians overtreat because of a fear of medical malpractice lawsuits (53%) or a desire to make more money (45%). Patients also think that physicians treat just to meet patients' demands (45%). Moreover, 9% of patients who think that their doctor's approach was too aggressive switched to another health-care provider.
