Comments on: MOST DOCTORS FAVOR SOCIALIZED MEDICINE?

By: Ambulance Doctor

Ambulance Doctor — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:20:17 +0000

I think that with the years AMA membership losses its prestige and nowadays the question is not vital.

By: matt

matt — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:29:06 +0000

This study is 100% Bunk! The doctors who did this study also conducted one in 2002 and found that the majority of doctors did not want national health care, the problem with this is that the 2 question surveys drastically differ in there 2nd question. I found this article, 60% of Physicians Surveyed Oppose Switching to a National Health Care Plan, It’s worth a read.

By: Marc Brown

Marc Brown — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:49:58 +0000

Much as it hurts me to say this, but Catron’s right. The respondents self-selected to answer the survey, as opposed to being called at random to answer it. However, for him to trash the study he’s assuming that pro-national insurance docs are more motivated to answer the survey than those against, for which of course there is no evidence. And the amazing standout of this survey is the response rate - over 50% is unheard of, certainly in more complex mailed out surveys. This was a very simple survey, but even so - there’s certainly something interesting here.

By: Catron

Catron — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:20:02 +0000

“You will have to point out to me what it is that a child can see.”

OK, Don, I’ll try one more time. In order for the survey to be statistically valid, the 2,193 respondents must be randomly selected.

By: Don McCanne, MD

Don McCanne, MD — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:29:56 +0000

Catron, this was a RANDOM sampling of the AMA Masterfile of ALL physicians in the United States. You will have to point out to me what it is that a child can see that shows that it was not “representative of the larger physician population.”

You can attack the very large number of physicians who support national health insurance, but you cannot tell us what we believe.

By: Rich

Rich — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:53:35 +0000

Don is correct that the study selected from the AMA masterfile and not the membership - in that I was mistaken, having taken another poster’s word for it. I read the actual letter in AIM, it states the AMA masterfile was used.

I still agree with Catron’s initial assessment, however.

By: Catron

Catron — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:45:09 +0000

Don, you either didn’t read the post or didn’t understand it. The statistical validity of the survey has nothing to do with how the original mailing list of 5,000 was derived.

All that matters is how the actual 2,193 respondents were selected. If that selection wasn’t random, and a child could see that it wasn’t, the sample isn’t representative of the larger physician population.

If AIM continues to publish this kind of shoddy material, it will lose all credibility among those of us who are capable of critical thinking.

By: Don McCanne, MD

Don McCanne, MD — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:15:55 +0000

This survey is a scientifically-valid, peer-reviewed study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine, a journal noted for its adherence to the highest standards of academic excellence.

The survey was of physicians randomly selected from the AMA Masterfile. This is a list of all physicians in the United States irrespective of their membership in the AMA. Names are never removed from this list, even after death. A valid sample automatically would include some who are deceased and others who might not have a current address on file.

Only two questions were asked: (1) In principle, do you support or oppose government legislation to establish national health insurance? (2) Do you support achieving universal coverage through more incremental reform?

As to whether there was a self-selection bias over-representing supporters of national health insurance, it is known that opponents of national health insurance are very passionate in their views, so it is just as possible that opponents could have been over-represented.

Regardless, the study does confirm that a large percentage of physicians do support national health insurance, and that number is growing.

By: Bad Medicine » Pot, kettle, moo.

Bad Medicine » Pot, kettle, moo. — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:48:16 +0000

[…] uproar amongst opponents of single payer health care over a recent survey published in the Annals of Internal […]

By: Democracy Project

Democracy Project — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:04:07 +0000

Skewed Poll Has Doctors Favoring Nationalized Care…

The appropriately named blog Health Care BS looks at the widely reported poll of which Reuters, for example, says: More than half of U.S. doctors now favor switching to a national health care plan and fewer than a third……