Sermo Announces 87% of US Physicians Surveyed Support President’s Backing of Malpractice Reform
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-(Business Wire)-September 10, 2009 - Physicians across the US are speaking out on Sermo (http://www.sermo.com), the largest online physician community, discussing the President’s newly announced support for malpractice reform. According to a new survey conducted on Sermo of 3,102 US physicians, 87% stated they are more inclined to support a healthcare reform bill that includes malpractice reform.
94% of physicians who responded say defensive medicine has led them to order tests or procedures that they did not believe were medically necessary. One of the many physician respondents on Sermo said, “I practice defensive medicine every day. Every single day. And I know it. And the only apology/explanation I make for it is that I do it because I have to. I have to. To NOT practice defensive medicine in our current tort climate is to risk licensure, and career, every single day.”
Specifically, when asked what meaningful malpractice reform would mean:
- 88% say there should be caps on pain and suffering damages
- 84% say there should be accountability for expert witnesses
- 83% say there should be caps on attorney profits
- 82% say there should be limits on non-economic damages
- 82% say there should be special medical courts with a jury of medical experts
President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress signals the first time the White House has mentioned that malpractice reform should be a part of healthcare reform legislation. “Make no mistake, the voice of practicing physicians is being heard loud and clear, and we have put these issues center stage,” said Dr. Daniel Palestrant, CEO of Sermo. “We will continue to make the voice of physicians heard until true reform is passed.”
Physicians Want Healthcare Reform
Physicians have long voiced their desire for meaningful healthcare reform. As early as 14 months ago, they made history on Sermo by drafting the "Open Letter from America's Physicians." Signed by over 15,000 physicians, the Open Letter outlined the most crucial challenges physicians face in delivering appropriate patient care. Not coincidentally, the same challenges are the focus of the “US Physicians’ Appeal” signed by over 11,000 US physicians on Sermo and delivered this week to every member of the US Senate. Physicians are directing thousands of their peers to Sermo where their voices can be heard and their issues communicated directly to President Obama and the US Congress.
According to the Physicians’ Appeal, true healthcare reform will only succeed if the following issues are addressed:
1. Tort and malpractice laws are reformed;
2. Billing is streamlined and pricing made transparent, ending systemic support of the AMA owned billing codes (CPT Codes);
3. The insurance industry is reformed;
4. Payment systems are simplified so they align with the growing need for preventive medicine.
In recent weeks, the Physicians’ Appeal has garnered national attention from physicians, lawmakers and the media. “Interestingly,” Palestrant notes, “we are now hearing that the AMA has modified their platform to include two key provisions of the Sermo Physicians’ Appeal: tort reform being one, and streamlined billing being the other.”
About the Survey Respondents:
3,102 total physicians responded to an online Sermo survey conducted on September 9-10, 2009. These respondents represent 93% (63 of 68) of all Sermo specialty categories across all 50 states. All respondents are verified and credentialed, ensuring they have valid, active licenses to practice medicine in the United States. The Sermo physician population is representative of the US physician population with respect to geographic regional distribution, age and most specialties. Physicians on Sermo work in practices of all sizes in all major urban and remote rural locations across the Unites States.
About Sermo:
Founded in 2006, by Dr. Daniel Palestrant, Sermo represents the US physician community and is the largest, physicians-only online network where physicians go to ask and answer questions of each other, and share medical observations from their daily practice, revolutionizing the way doctors collaborate across the United States. Sermo is a key source of exclusive physician information, especially as the US healthcare reform debate continues.
Dr. Palestrant is a recognized, nonpartisan voice who speaks on behalf of physicians nationwide. Modern Physician recently named him one of the country’s “50 Most Powerful Physicians”, and BusinessWeek has named Sermo one of the “Top 50 Tech Startups” globally. He is an active participant in the Sermo community and brings a unique voice and the unparalleled opinions of the Sermo network of doctors to interviews.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @sermoteam
Facebook: Sermo
Dr. Daniel Palestrant’s blog: www.sermo.com/blog
*SIGN THE US PHYSICIANS APPEAL HERE
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