Skip to main content
Log in

Cost containment forces physicians into ethical and quality of care compromises

  • Published:
Theoretical Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Contemporary cost containment measures ignore patients' need for privacy, destroy long-term doctor-patient relationships, and demand ethical and standard of care compromises.

Economic considerations have distracted the physician and he/she no longer focuses primarily on the patient's welfare. The superficiality of the doctor-patient relationship and the cost-cutting efforts have jointly contributed to the deterioration of the quality of medical care.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that the care physicians dispense in the office is adversely affected by cost containment regulations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Starr P. The Social Transformation of American Medicine. New York: Basic Books Inc, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Health Care Financing Administration. Cardiac pacemaker registry; final rule. Federal Register 1987;52(141, July 23):27756–65.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. Current Opinions of the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association. Chicago: AMA, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Angell M. Medicine: the endangered patient-centered ethic. Hastings Cent Rep 1987 (Spec Suppl Feb):12–3.

  5. Dyer AR. Ethics, advertising and the definition of a profession. J Med Ethics 1985;11:72–8.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Reinhardt U. The real numbers don't add up to health-cost savings. Medical Economics 1987;24:26–30.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Justin, R.G. Cost containment forces physicians into ethical and quality of care compromises. Theor Med Bioeth 10, 231–238 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00489441

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00489441

Key words

Navigation