Table 1. Physician Attitudes Toward Cost Conversations.

Physician attitude	Agree, No. (%)a
Duty
Doctors have an obligation to initiate discussions about out-of-pocket costs when writing orders	276 (74)
There is nothing I can do to lower patients’ out-of-pocket costsb	124 (33)
It is not my job to deal with patients’ out-of-pocket costsb	126 (34)
Perceived barriers
I have a hard time advising my patients on their out-of-pocket costs	285 (77)
I do not have enough time to discuss patients’ out-of-pocket costs	283 (76)
I usually don’t know how to answer questions about out-of-pocket costs	255 (69)
I know approximately how much my patients are spending on their medical careb	99 (27)
I feel uncomfortable discussing out-of-pocket costs with my patients	153 (41)
Perceived expectations
My patients expect me to solve their cost-related issues during or right after clinic visits	232 (63)

^aSum of “somewhat agree,” “agree,” and “strongly agree.”

^bThis question was reverse coded in exploratory factor analysis.