Facilitating and Supporting Cost Conversations in Clinical Settings

This project aims to describe the cost-specific topics raised in patient-physician conversations and identify the most frequent types of questions physicians and clinical teams encounter. It also will identify barriers to addressing cost questions and identify solutions that could improve the ability of clinicians to deal with cost questions. The investigators will analyze 405 audio recorded and transcribed patient-physician conversations that include mention of patient costs from visits for breast oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, and psychiatry. The investigative team will analyze the content and form of cost information and the type of quality information requested or discussed. Using these results, the team will prioritize the information that physicians want during cost conversations. Through focus groups and semistructured interviews with physicians and clinical teams, the researchers also will identify barriers and potential solutions to obtaining and providing information on these topics in clinical settings.