Special Feature

Groups collaborate to eliminate patient confusion on who's a doctor

After four years of medical school, three to seven years of a residency and/or fellowship and 12,000 to 16,000 hours of patient care training, physicians have more than earned their title. And patients agree.  

According to a survey conducted by Global Strategy Group in 2010, 90 percent of patients said a physician's additional years of medical education and training are vital to optimal patient care, and 83 percent prefer a physician to have primary responsibility for their health care.

The problem is that patients don't always know the difference between various types of health care providers and sometimes think they are seeing a medical doctor when they are not. That same survey illustrated patients' confusion, citing 69 percent, 68 percent and 54 percent of patients who believe dentists, podiatrists and optometrists, respectively, are medical doctors.

To help ensure patients know the qualifications of their health care provider, the AMA and its state and specialty society partners launched the Truth in Advertising (TIA) campaign last year. The campaign calls on all health care professionals—physicians and non-physician providers alike—to accurately and clearly disclose their training and qualifications to their patients. And when advertising their services, health care professionals must not promise more than what they are educated, trained and legally licensed to do.

All physicians can play a role in the TIA campaign. As part of the campaign, the AMA developed model legislation to help physicians and their medical societies introduce legislation to help provide increased clarity and transparency for patients. The legislation requires all practitioners to identify their license type in advertising, wear a visible photo ID badge when seeing patients and post their type of license in their offices.

The AMA also provides access to resources, including a campaign booklet and "Know your doctor" patient flier, to help legislators understand the need for TIA legislation. Several states, including Arizona, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Utah have enacted TIA laws in 2010 and 2011.

There also is a federal TIA component. Earlier this year, Reps. John Sullivan, R-Okla., and David Scott, D-Ga., introduced the Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act of 2011(H.R. 451), which prohibits misleading and deceptive advertising by health care professionals. The AMA and 49 medical societies support H.R. 451.

All providers have an important role to play as members of a patient's health care team. The TIA campaign helps patients know who is playing those roles and what those roles entail. You can help reduce patients' confusion today. Make it a priority to talk to your lawmakers about the need for truth in advertising in your state.