Medical Students' Views on Healthcare Reform and the Affordable Care Act
Author Information
Author(s): Huntoon Kristin M., McCluney Colin J., Scannell Christopher A., Wiley Elizabeth A., Bruno Richard, Andrews Allen, Gorman Paul
Primary Institution: Oregon Health and Science University
Hypothesis
What are medical students' attitudes toward the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and healthcare reform?
Conclusion
The majority of medical students support healthcare reform and the PPACA, but they have concerns about its effectiveness in improving quality and controlling costs.
Supporting Evidence
- 94.8% of medical students agreed that the existing healthcare system needs reform.
- 80.1% of respondents indicated support for the PPACA.
- 67.6% believed the PPACA will increase access to healthcare.
- 31.4% believed the PPACA will improve healthcare quality.
Takeaway
Most medical students think the healthcare system needs to change and support the new healthcare law, but they're not sure if it will really make things better.
Methodology
An anonymous electronic survey was sent to medical students at 10 medical schools, with 1232 students responding.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to voluntary participation and reliance on school-maintained listservs for recruitment.
Limitations
The response rate was low at 18%, and the sample may be biased towards students interested in health policy.
Participant Demographics
{"age":"25.9±3.5","gender":{"female":51.5,"male":48.5},"ethnicity":{"White":75.1,"Asian":15.6,"Black":2.7,"Hispanic":6.1}}
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 51.1%–56.7%
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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