Survey reveals solid foundations for IFC campaign

The AMA's latest survey on informed financial consent (IFC) shows more than four out of five doctors are arming their patients with the cost details of their medical procedures.

"It's a good result, but more improvement is needed to reach at least a 90 per cent IFC rate," says AMA President Dr Mukesh Haikerwal.

To gauge the state of IFC, the AMA sent a fax survey to 2120 practising private specialists during June 2006, 697 doctors replying - a response rate of 32.8 per cent.

Of the respondents, 72 per cent were surgeons, 13 per cent were anaesthetists, and four per cent were ophthalmologists.

Radiologists, pathologists, orthopaedic surgeons, oncologists, and obstetrician/gynaecologists all had a response rate of one per cent each.

"The results of this survey will also form a baseline for a further survey in 12 months' time," Dr Haikerwal said.

Survey responses indicated:

• 84 per cent of doctors obtain IFC in more than 80 per cent of cases
• 75 per cent obtained IFC in 91-100 per cent of cases
• five per cent said they did not seek IFC
• Of the doctors obtaining IFC, 69 per cent gain consent in writing in 91-100 per cent of cases
• 75 per cent of all doctors obtain written IFC more than 70 per cent of the time
• The main reasons doctors did not obtain IFC were because of emergency (56 per cent) and complex care episodes (16 per cent)
• IFC is broadly supported by the profession, with only two per cent of doctors saying they did not think it was good practice.

"In just five years, we've made great leaps forward - our 2001 survey showed an IFC rate of 70 per cent, which was obtained in writing in 36 per cent of cases," Dr Haikerwal said.

"We must all work together to ensure the maximum possible IFC rate is obtained.

"However, this does not preclude the very real need for both health funds and private hospitals to be upfront with patients about their rebates and fees respectively. "Only a similar effort from them now will get rates to the Minister's acceptable level."

Kelvin Watt, Senior Writer, Australian Medicine

[Australian Medicine, Volume 18, Number 15, August 21, 2006, page 20]