Physician Payment Sunshine Act: Survey Shows Majority of US Physicians Still Unaware of Sunshine
In March, we reported on a survey noting that some physicians actually know less about the Sunshine Act provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act now than they did one year ago. More than half of the 1,025 physicians surveyed in January by global communications technology company MMIS Inc. and healthcare information services company Health Data Solutions said they didn’t know that the law requires pharmaceutical and medical device companies to track any payments or “transfers of value” to physicians and teaching hospitals as of August 1, 2013.
Michaeline Daboul, President of MMIS, Inc., presented more information at the 7th Annual Forum on Sunshine and Aggregate Spend. The presentation, titled “Open Payments Survey: Physician Attitudes and Awareness of the Physician Payment Sunshine Act”, develops a more complete picture of physician knowledge regarding the Sunshine Act’s requirements. MMIS added to its previous January 2013 research by surveying physicians between August 16-19, 2013. Regulatory Law Group, PLLC, conducted the surveys.
This new research indicated several key points:
- There has been a 10% increase in the number of physicians aware of the Sunshine Act; however, just under half of the respondents are “Very Unaware” or “Somewhat Unaware” as of today
- 58% of physicians surveyed are aware of the National Physician Payment Transparency Program (NPPTP)
- 69% of physicians surveyed are unaware of the official website for OPEN PAYMENTS
- More than 50% of physicians are concerned about the effects of OPEN PAYMENTS
- 50% of physicians are concerned that payments in excess of $10 received will be made available in a publicly searchable database.
- 85% of physicians feel it is important to review and dispute, if necessary, payment data prior to publication in the public domain.
- 36% of physicians think that OPEN PAYMENTS will have a negative effect on their relationship with industry
- 49% of Physicians surveyed would access the Physicians Professional Network (PPN)
- 70% of physicians, prefer to review payment data more than once per year
- 21% of physicians would consider severing their relationship with a manufacture who reports inaccurate information related to payments disclosed in the public domain