Reports Say Self-Referrals by Doctors Do Not Help Patients

A set of studies in the journal Health Affairs finds that supposed benefits of physician self-referral often do not materialize for patients and frequently lead to higher costs. For example, researchers found that the self-referral practice could limit same-day medical imaging scans and that patients rarely have quicker recoveries from illnesses. The studies were funded by the Blue Shield of California Foundation.

• "Studies Question Benefits of Self-Referral" (Rhea, Modern Healthcare, 12/7).
• "Imaging: The Self-Referral Boom and the Ongoing Search for Effective Policies To Contain It" (Hillman/Goldsmith, Health Affairs, December 2010).
• "The Practice of Imaging Self-Referral Doesn't Produce Much One-Stop Service" (Sunshine/Bhargavan, Health Affairs, December 2010).
• "Imaging Self-Referral Associated With Higher Costs and Limited Impact on Duration Of Illness" (Hughes et al., Health Affairs, December 2010).