Considerable Concern Exists Among U.S. Adults About the Frequency of Unnecessary or Overly Aggressive Medical Treatment, According to New Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll

    ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Wall Street Journal
 Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll shows that there is considerable
 concern among U.S. adults about the frequency with which patients are
 medically overtreated by their doctors. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of U.S.
 adults think that patients who have medical conditions experience problems
 because of being overtreated (i.e., getting too many treatments or getting
 more aggressive treatment than is appropriate). In light of these concerns by
 the public, it's not surprising to learn that half (50%) of all adults are
 somewhat or very concerned, personally, about being overtreated when they are
 sick or in need of medical care.
     Below are the results of the online survey of 2,286 U.S. adults conducted
 by Harris Interactive(R) between Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, 2005 for The Wall Street
 Journal Online's Health Industry Edition.
 
     Steps taken in response to concerns about overtreatment
     More than half (52%) of all adults have chosen to question or forego
 recommended care because they felt it was unnecessary or too aggressive.
 Specifically:
 
     * Nearly a third (32%) did not fill a prescription that their doctor gave
       them because they felt it was unnecessary.
 
     * About one-fifth (21%) got a second opinion from another doctor because
       they thought their doctor's recommendations were too aggressive.
 
     * Sixteen percent (16%) did not get a diagnostic test that their doctor
       recommended because they felt it was unnecessary.
 
     * One in 10 (10%) did not get a surgical procedure that their doctor
       recommended because they felt it was unnecessary.
 
     * Nine percent (9%) changed doctors because they felt their doctor's
       approach was too aggressive.
 
     Perceived causes of overtreatment
     The public has several theories as to why doctors may sometimes overtreat
 patients. Doctors' concerns about malpractice lawsuits (53%) and the desire to
 make more money (45%) and meet patients' demands (45%) are the reasons most
 cited by adults as to why they think overtreatment occurs. Other perceived
 causes for overtreatment include:
 
     * To make fast and easy decisions (31%)
 
     * Because of misleading information they receive from prescription drug
       and medical-device companies (30%)
 
     * Because of a faulty medical diagnosis (27%)
 
     * To give patients more reason to hope (16%).
 
     "Over the past few years, a great deal of media attention has driven
 public concerns about aggressive profiteering on the part of pharmaceutical
 companies and other sectors of the healthcare industry," said Katherine Binns,
 president of the Healthcare and Public Relations Research Practice at Harris
 Interactive(R). "However, these findings suggest that to some extent the
 public is also leery of the motivations behind physicians' decisions regarding
 patient care."
 
                                    TABLE 1
            PERCEIVED FREQUENCY OF OVERTREATMENT VS. UNDERTREATMENT
   "Based on what you know or have heard, how often do you think patients who
         have medical conditions experience problems because of ... ?"
 
     Base: All Adults
 
                              Often/                    Rarely/
                            Sometimes   Often   Some-    Never   Rarely   Never
                              (Net)             times    (Net)
     Being overtreated,
      for example by getting
      too many treatments or
      by getting more
      aggressive treatment
      than is appropriate   %   72        22      50       28      22       6
     Being undertreated,
      for example by getting
      too few treatments or
      by getting less
      aggressive treatment
      than is appropriate   %   83        31      51       17      13       5
 
     Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
 
 
                                    TABLE 2
                    PERSONAL CONCERN REGARDING OVERTREATMENT
   "How concerned are you, personally, about receiving too many treatments or
   overly aggressive treatment when you are sick or in need of medical care?"
 
     Base: All Adults
                                                         Total
                                                           %
     Very/Somewhat Concerned (Net)                         50
       Very concerned                                      14
       Somewhat concerned                                  37
     Not Very/At All Concerned (Net)                       50
       Not very concerned                                  36
       Not at all concerned                                14
 
     Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
 
 
                                    TABLE 3
            STEPS TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS ABOUT OVERTREATMENT
      "Which of the following, if any, have you ever done when your doctor
  recommended a particular course of treatment for you or an immediate family
                     member? Please select all that apply."
 
     Base: All Adults
                                                                  Total
                                                                    %
     Did not fill a prescription that your doctor gave
      you because you felt it was unnecessary                      32
     Got a second opinion from another doctor because you
      thought your doctor's recommendations were too aggressive    21
     Did not get a diagnostic test that your doctor recommended
      because you felt it was unnecessary                          16
     Did not get a surgical procedure that your doctor
      recommended because you felt it was unnecessary              10
     Changed doctors because you felt that your doctor's approach
      was too aggressive                                            9
     None of these                                                 48
 
     Note: Multiple-response question.
 
                                    TABLE 4
                       PERCEIVED CAUSES OF OVERTREATMENT
 "Based on what you know or have heard, what do you think are the reasons that
    doctors sometimes overtreat patients, for example by providing too many
                  treatments or overly aggressive treatments?"
 
     Base: All Adults
                                                          Total
                                                            %
     Because of concerns about malpractice lawsuits        53
     To make more money                                    45
     To meet patients' demands                             45
     To make fast and easy decisions                       31
     Because of misleading information they receive from
      prescription drug and medical device companies       30
     Because of a faulty medical diagnosis                 27
     To give patients more reason to hope                  16
     Other                                                  6
     Don't know                                             9
 
     Note: Multiple-response question.
 
       Downloadable PDFs of Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive
                        Health-Care Polls are posted at
           http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters_wsj.asp.
 
     Methodology
     Harris Interactive conducted this online survey within the United States
 between Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, 2005 among a nationwide cross section of 2,286
 adults, ages 18 years and over. Figures for age, gender, race/ethnicity,
 education, income and region were weighted where necessary to align with
 population proportions. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for
 respondents' propensity to be online.
     In theory, with probability samples of this size, one can say with 95%
 certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3
 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult population
 had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other
 possible sources of error in polls or surveys that are probably more serious
 than theoretical calculations of sampling error. This includes refusals to be
 interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, and weighting.
 It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors.
 This online sample is not a probability sample.
     These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National
 Council on Public Polls.
 
     About the Survey
     The Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll is an
 exclusive poll that is published in the award-winning Health Industry Edition
 of The Wall Street Journal Online at http://www.wsj.com/health.
 
     About The Wall Street Journal Online
     The Wall Street Journal Online at http://WSJ.com, published by Dow Jones &
 Company (NYSE:   DJ; http://www.dowjones.com), is the largest paid subscription
 news site on the Web. Launched in 1996, the Online Journal continues to
 attract quality subscribers that are at the top of their industries, with
 744,000 subscribers world-wide as of Q2, 2005.
     The Online Journal provides in-depth business news and financial
 information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with insight and analysis,
 including breaking business and technology news and analysis from around the
 world. It draws on the Dow Jones network of nearly 1,800 business and
 financial news staff-the largest network of business and financial journalists
 in the world. The Online Journal also features exclusive content, including
 interactive graphics on business and world news, and online-only columns about
 the automotive industry, technology, personal finance and more.
     The Online Journal offers two industry-specific editions: the award-
 winning Health Industry Edition and the Media & Marketing Edition.
     The Health Industry Edition offers authoritative analysis, breaking news
 and commentary from top industry journalists. The Media & Marketing Edition is
 designed for professionals in the advertising, marketing, entertainment and
 media industries. Subscribers to both online editions also get access to the
 full content of the Online Journal.
     In 2005, the Online Journal was awarded a Codie Award for Best Online News
 Service for the second consecutive year, and its Health Industry Edition was
 awarded Best Online Science or Technology Service for the third consecutive
 year. In 2004, the Online Journal received an EPpy Award for Best Internet
 Business Service over 1 million monthly visitors.
     The Wall Street Journal Online network includes http://CareerJournal.com,
 http://OpinionJournal.com, http://StartupJournal.com,
 http://RealEstateJournal.com and http://CollegeJournal.com.
 
     About Harris Interactive(R)
     Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com) is the 13th
 largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, perhaps best
 known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering and engineering Internet-based
 research methods. The Rochester, New York-based global research company blends
 premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of
 investigation, analysis and application, conducting proprietary and public
 research globally to help clients achieve clear, material and enduring
 results.
     Blending science and art, Harris Interactive combines its intellectual
 capital and one of the world's largest online panels of respondents, with
 premier Internet survey technology and sophisticated research methods to
 market leadership through its US, Europe
 (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/europe) and Asia offices, its wholly owned
 subsidiary, Novatris in Paris (http://www.novatris.com), and through an
 independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V
     To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to
 participate in future online surveys, go to http://www.harrispollonline.com.
 
     Press Contacts:
 
      Robert Christie
      Dow Jones & Company
      212-416-2636
 
      Nancy Wong
      Harris Interactive
      585-214-7316
 
      Kelly Gullo
      Harris Interactive
      585-214-7172
 
 

SOURCE  Harris Interactive