doctors conducting surveys

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Allan Adler - 16 May 2005 13:21 GMT

I think it's well known that some doctors do a certain kind of research
in which a pharmaceutical company will give them samples of some medication
and the doctor will report to the company on how well it seemed to work.
I don't remember the details of such arrangements as reported in the news,
but in cases where it makes the company look good, I think the doctor gets
to publish it. Anyway, what I'm wondering is whether doctors ever collect
data on patients and report it in surveys. I understand that patients are
entitled to confidentiality but it might be a technical point of law whether
confidentiality is violated if the information used in the survey doesn't
explicitly identify any patients. For example, the doctor might simply keep
track of what percentage of patients fall into certain demographic, medical
or other categories. So, I'm wondering whether there is any kind of research
like that done by doctors.

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Ignorantly,
Allan Adler <ara@zurich.csail.mit.edu>
* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT CSAIL. My actions and
* comments do not reflect in any way on MIT. Also, I am nowhere near Boston.

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Howard McCollister - 16 May 2005 14:18 GMT

> I think it's well known that some doctors do a certain kind of research
> in which a pharmaceutical company will give them samples of some
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> research
> like that done by doctors.

Doctors commonly do such clinical research. If patients are not identified,
there are no confidentiality implications. Sometimes, usually in larger
institutions, such research activity is sponsored but in most private
practices there is no such relationship. If a drug company wants to have a
large study that makes their drug look favorable, they will usually approach
a well-known doctor at a large institution and fund such a study, including
a stipend for the researcher. Often the drug company retains the rights to
the study and can make the decision as to whether or not they want to submit
it for publication. This is generally looked upon by most physicians as
being a rather questionable practice and mostly such doctors are referred to
as prostitutes around the doctor's lounge.

Sample medications are provided by drug companies to medical practices all
the time - nothing to do with clinical research. This is a routine part of
pharmaceutical marketing.

HMc

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TwitteringOne - 16 May 2005 16:07 GMT

A very
Impact ~ Full Insight, Mr.
McCollister.

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Jeff - 16 May 2005 15:13 GMT

This is already done by a company called IMS Health. The company is able to
track the prescribing habits of physicians in America. I think they are able
to do it on physician by physician level, although I don't know if they
track prescriptions patients get.

http://www.privacyexchange.org/buscodes/icp/pharmaceutical/IMSAmerica2.html

Jeff

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Howard McCollister - 16 May 2005 16:05 GMT

> This is already done by a company called IMS Health. The company is able
> to track the prescribing habits of physicians in America. I think they are
> able to do it on physician by physician level, although I don't know if
> they track prescriptions patients get.
>
> http://www.privacyexchange.org/buscodes/icp/pharmaceutical/IMSAmerica2.html

IMS Health tracks prescribing habits, but nothing to do with outcomes or
effectiveness of the medications prescribed.

HMc

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Howard McCollister - 16 May 2005 16:30 GMT

IMS gets its marketing data from drug sales to pharmacies and hospitals.
Their clients are largely pharmaceutical companies, and they are able to
look at effectiveness of individual sales reps. Their prescribing data can
come from pharmacies, but they are also relentless in sending out surveys to
physicians. These surveys usually are accompanied by some kind of
enticement. They, and other such companies offer to pay as much as $150 to
to a physician to respond to a survey. I'll bet I get 3 or 4 of these
"offers" by phone or mail per week.

HMc

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Allan Adler - 16 May 2005 20:56 GMT

> IMS gets its marketing data from drug sales to pharmacies and hospitals.
> Their clients are largely pharmaceutical companies, and they are able to
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> to a physician to respond to a survey. I'll bet I get 3 or 4 of these
> "offers" by phone or mail per week.

Do these surveys only have to do with drugs and prescriptions or do they
also have to do with the kind of demographic and other categories I was
asking about?

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Howard McCollister - 16 May 2005 21:42 GMT

>> IMS gets its marketing data from drug sales to pharmacies and hospitals.
>> Their clients are largely pharmaceutical companies, and they are able to
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> also have to do with the kind of demographic and other categories I was
> asking about?

These particular surveys only deal with specific things related to a
doctor's practice, nothing to do with patients or groups of patients.
Prescribing information is a typical type of survey "Doctor, what drugs to
you prescribe for heartburn? What dose?" etc. Most doctors wouldn't answer
questions about patient demographics or such things in their practice, even
if they knew then and even if they were willing to answer the phone to these
people at all. They're relentless. They call and leave messages, they send
email invites, they call and try to get my secretaries to interrupt me in
the middle of the day by dissembling about the nature of the call. Worse
than telemarketers.

That many physicians refuse to participate in these silly surveys has
nothing to do with patient confidentiality since it doesn't apply when
patients aren't identified -- it has to do with the wasted time doing those
silly surveys. I won't even answer the annual survey that comes with my
medical license application from the Board of Medical Practice in this
state.

The basic answer to your question is NO, nobody comes around asking about
patient demographic or medical data. It would be none of their business how
the doctor runs their practice.

HMc

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Jeff - 17 May 2005 03:56 GMT

>>> IMS gets its marketing data from drug sales to pharmacies and hospitals.
>>> Their clients are largely pharmaceutical companies, and they are able to
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
> patient demographic or medical data. It would be none of their business
> how the doctor runs their practice.

But, IMS America is able to get a fair estimation of patient demographics by
looking at the zip codes of the pharmacies that they go to buy the drugs. In
addition, it is possible that the drug stores supply the zip codes of the
patients. I don't think any identifying info is passed on to IMS America,
but I could be wrong.

Jeff

> HMc

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Howard McCollister - 17 May 2005 04:25 GMT

> But, IMS America is able to get a fair estimation of patient demographics
> by looking at the zip codes of the pharmacies that they go to buy the
> drugs. In addition, it is possible that the drug stores supply the zip
> codes of the patients. I don't think any identifying info is passed on to
> IMS America, but I could be wrong.

I should clarify that I'm talking about the way they deal with a typical
doctor in private practice. I don't have a clue how they work with
pharmacies

HMc

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Allan Adler - 17 May 2005 12:17 GMT

> The basic answer to your question is NO, nobody comes around asking about
> patient demographic or medical data. It would be none of their business how
> the doctor runs their practice.

Thanks for answering my question.

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