The study examines how locals feel about docs referring them to specific healthcare providers
The University of Auckland is seeking feedback from New Zealanders regarding how they feel about and how they respond to self-referrals.
Self-referrals refer to instances in which doctors direct their patients to healthcare providers they have financial ties to. Auckland Law School health law expert Jaime King, who is the study’s principal investigator, said this practice is a rising issue in the medical profession given that more and more doctors have stakes in the clinics, labs and specialists they refer patients to.
“This creates a conflict of interest. Patients trust their doctors to recommend the best care, but financial incentives could be influencing these referrals”, King said in a statement published by the University of Auckland.
The Medical Council of New Zealand mandates the disclosure of conflicts of interest; however, global studies revealed that patients hesitated to question doctors’ recommendations even if they were aware of the doctors’ financial stakes in those recommendations.
“Patients don’t want to seem like they’re implicitly accusing their doctor of bias or unethical conduct. Prior research shows they often go along with the referral anyway, even if it raises concerns for them about trust, bias and whether the medical advice is in their best interests”, said Auckland Law School professor Jo Manning, King’s co-investigator.
In particular, King and Manning are seeking input from Māori patients, who may be less willing to question healthcare providers. Manning explained that the survey would aid in developing solutions to bolster trust and transparency as well as mitigate patient harm in the healthcare system.
King and Manning said they were considering an enhanced disclosure model that involved creating a public registry of doctors’ financial stakes. The register would list the nature, value and duration of these ties and be updated as needed. Patients could then check the registry before deciding on a healthcare provider.
The researchers are also looking to determine how self-referrals impact competition in medical services provision, patient trust, and how sustainable New Zealand’s public health system is.
