Physician executives worry about lapses in medical ethics

While most survey respondents said they were concerned about unethical practices, most said such practices didn't occur in their own organizations.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. March 28, 2005.

A new survey shows that nine in 10 physician executives are "very concerned" or "moderately concerned" that unethical business practices are impacting U.S. health care.

The nationwide survey of about 1,500 physician leaders found that executives were most worried about doctors refusing to accept call on patients with no insurance, influence by pharmaceutical firms and medical device manufacturers, and overtreatment of patients to boost income.

Although most physician executives in the survey voiced concerns about unethical practices, six in 10 said no physician in their organization was involved in unethical behavior. About half said they thought a health care organization in their community had unethical practices.

"We know this issue is out there in various forms, but the extent with which [physician executives] feel it is an issue is alarming," said Marvin Kolb, MD, president of the American College of Physician Executives, which published the survey in the March/April The Physician Executive.

Most physician groups and health care organizations have ethics codes and other policies that speak to conflicts of interest, accepting gifts from drug companies and other sensitive issues. In the past few years, some have taken additional steps to ensure that ethical standards are upheld.

In 2001, the American Medical Association conducted an educational campaign to remind doctors of guidelines approved in 1990 on industry gifts that said physicians should accept only gifts that have some benefit to patients, are of modest value and come with no strings attached.