The pitfalls of hospitals seeking donations from their rich patients

According to a JAMA article by CBSSM's Director Reshma Jagsi and colleagues, most Americans find a number of common hospital fundraising practices ethically unacceptable. The study found that 85% of the people who took our survey agreed that patients feel good when they donate to the hospitals where they received their medical care. Yet 83% said they felt that when doctors talk with their patients about donating, it may interfere with the patient-physician relationship. And 91% said they believed that patients may feel pressure to donate if their doctor personally asks them to make a charitable contribution to support that hospital. The study was also recently highlighted in The Conversation.