Relationship between primary care physicians' cost profiles and patient satisfaction in a central Florida employer health plan

While researchers have extensively studied physician profiling and patient satisfaction, there is a lack of scientific inquiry into the relationship between physician cost profiles (i.e., high cost or low cost) and patient satisfaction survey results. This lack of information is a serious problem for an effective health care system. For example, there are many incentive programs that reward physicians for low costs and high patient satisfaction, yet there is insufficient information on whether these incentives work.; The specific research addressed whether there is a relationship between primary care physician cost profiles and patient satisfaction. Archival data obtained from the health plan of a large public sector employer in Central Florida served as the foundation of the analysis. Primary care physician cost profiles were constructed from health care claims data. Patient satisfaction scores were obtained from a patient satisfaction survey. Regression analysis was used to test the relationship between the cost profile dimensions and the patient satisfaction dimensions. The results showed significant correlation between medication costs and patient satisfaction at the 0.01 level for all patient satisfaction dimensions, and between primary care physician costs and patient satisfaction at the 0.01 level for all patient satisfaction dimensions except the dimension access. Patients are more satisfied when the cost profile is higher. These findings are contrary to physician incentive programs that reward physicians for low costs and high patient satisfaction. The results also provide further insights into the problems experienced by physicians trying to represent both the patient and the payer.; From a social change perspective, these results suggest a series of alternate ideas to explore. Alternate incentive programs may lessen the tension in the physician-patient relationship, leading to better patient compliance and improved outcomes. Policy makers may further examine the relationship between direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisement and patients, demands for specific prescription medication. Further, policy makers may initiate educational programs for patients to shift their definition of satisfaction from quantity to quality. These changes may result in reduced growth rates of health care costs.