Table 1.
Public attitudes in four countries about comparative effectiveness decision making and patient access (in per cent)
| Germany (n=500), % (95% CI) | Italy (n=500), % (95% CI) | UK (n=500), % (95% CI) | USA (n=1017), % (95% CI) | |
| In (your country) the (government or health insurance plans withhold/national health service withholds) high-cost (prescription drugs/medical or surgical treatments) from people who might benefit in order to save money… | ||||
| Very often | 15 (11 to 19) | 19 (15 to 24) | 11 (7 to 14) | 29 (26 to 33) |
| Somewhat often | 43 (38 to 48) | 36 (31 to 41) | 28 (23 to 33) | 38 (34 to 41) |
| Not too often | 30 (25 to 35) | 25 (20 to 29) | 39 (33 to 44) | 20 (17 to 23) |
| Not at all | 4 (2 to 7) | 9 (6 to 12) | 19 (15 to 23) | 7 (5 to 9) |
| Don't know/refused | 7 (4 to 10) | 11 (8 to 14) | 4 (1 to 6) | 6 (4 to 8) |
| Paying for/providing approved (prescription drugs/medical or surgical treatments) regardless of cost (respondents were asked to choose between two statements:) | ||||
| The (government or health insurance plans should pay for/national health service should provide) any (prescription drug/medical or surgical treatment) that has been approved as being safe and effective for saving lives or improving people's health, regardless of what it costs | 61 (56 to 66) | 77 (72 to 81) | 60 (55 to 65) | 59 (55 to 62) |
| There are so many new expensive prescription drugs and medical or surgical treatments that it is too expensive for (government or health insurance plans to pay for/the national health service to provide) all of them | 35 (29 to 40) | 20 (16 to 24) | 38 (33 to 43) | 35 (31 to 39) |
| The (government or your health insurance plan paying for/national health service providing) more expensive (prescription drug/medical or surgical treatment) recommended by your doctor even if it has not been shown to work better than less expensive (drugs/treatments) | ||||
| Favour paying for/providing (oppose comparative effectiveness) | 43 (37 to 48) | 21 (17 to 25) | 29 (24 to 34) | 33 (29 to 37) |
| Oppose paying for/providing (favour comparative effectiveness) | 49 (44 to 54) | 70 (65 to 75) | 69 (64 to 74) | 64 (61 to 68) |
| Some (prescription drugs/medical or surgical treatments) that have been shown to be safe and effective should not be (paid for by the government or health insurance plans/provided by the national health service) because their high cost is not felt to be justified by the amount of benefit they provide | ||||
| Favour not paying for/providing | 32 (27 to 37) | 31 (26 to 36) | 34 (28 to 39) | 31 (27 to 34) |
| Oppose not paying for/providing | 59 (54 to 65) | 61 (56 to 66) | 63 (58 to 68) | 62 (59 to 66) |
Source: Harvard School of Public Health/Alliance for Aging Research Survey, 2011.
‘Don't know/refused’ responses not shown unless they are 10% or greater for the question in one or more countries.