Resident Physicians’ Perspectives on Health Care Reform

Objective. To investigate the perspectives of resident physicians, in otolaryngology and other specialties, with respect to various health care reform proposals. Also, to determine if these opinions vary between residents training to become general medical doctors versus surgeons and specialists and between those with various levels of educational debt. Study Design and Participants. Survey of resident physicians across the United States. Methods. Opinions of participants were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Results. Of the 1576 respondents, the majority agreed that tort reform and electronic medical records would improve quality of care and help contain health care costs. However, few residents agreed that bundling of services (BOS), hospital-acquired conditions penalties (HACP), and quality-based reimbursement (QBR) would improve the quality of care. Specialists and surgeons, in comparison to generalists, were (1) less likely to agree that BOS, HACP, or QBR would improve the quality of care; (2) more likely to agree that tort reform would help contain health care costs; and (3) more likely to believe that BOS, HACP, or QBR would decrease physician compensation. Higher educational debt burden was also an independent predictor of increased skepticism about health care reforms effects on physician compensation. Conclusions. Residents in general medicine and surgery/specialty training programs agreed that tort reform and electronic medical records would help improve the quality of health care and help contain costs. However, both groups expressed strong concern that certain elements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would not achieve these goals.