Another Pill, Another Test, and Another Procedure: One Resident's Reflection on Healthcare Cost Containment

In the United States, healthcare expenditures have continued to rise at alarming rates despite numerous strategies to contain costs. One area of focus that is underappreciated is doctor-patient communication about expectations of treatment. Studies have shown that clinicians’ misperceptions of assumptions about patients’ expectations are an essential component to our nation's healthcare overuse problem. Strategies to address these misperceptions and assumptions as a method of reducing costs and providing higher-quality care to our patients are warranted.