Berlin, Germany-based Springer published a survey assessing how many Americans see physician who accept industry payments and how many patients are aware of this fact.
Philadelphia-based Drexel University School of Public Health conducted the survey. It is the first nationally representative study assessing how prevalent industry payments are among patients spanning the United States.
Here are five points:
1. Sixty-five percent of Americans see a physician who receives some form of industry payment.
2. Sixty-three percent of patients saw a family medicine physician accepting an industry payment, and 77 percent saw an obstetrician or gynecologist who received an industry payment.
3. Although the practice is prevalent, merely 45 percent of patients were aware their physician received industry payments.
4. Among the patients surveyed, 12 percent knew information was publicly available and 5 percent were aware their provider accepted industry favors.
5. Genevieve Pham-Kanter, PhD, lead study author, stated, "The findings suggest that although physicians who accept industry payments are in the minority, they are caring for a very substantial portion of America's adult patient population."