ALPHARETTA, GA – According to a recent survey, about three out of every four doctors feel they now have less control over the way they practice medicine than they did five years ago.

In the survey, conducted by Alpharetta, Ga.-based Jackson Healthcare, 85 percent say the threat of medical malpractice litigation affects their ability to deliver care. Other factors, they said, include insurance and government interference.

“We found that... the respondents attributed the practice of defensive medicine to excessive waste in the healthcare system,” said Rick Jackson, chairman and CEO of Jackson Healthcare.

According to the survey, 92 percent say the number one element that should be included in any piece of healthcare legislation is tort reform.

Physicians said they also want health reform legislation to include: 

• Private insurance industry reform, including the elimination of pre-existing condition refusals and dropped coverage (except in instances of fraud) and portability (78 percent).
• Allowing professional, trade and industry associations, including chambers of commerce, to provide healthcare insurance to member groups (67 percent).
• Allowing individuals to opt out of Medicare or an employer-sponsored plan and receive credits to purchase a plan on the individual market (61 percent).
• Creating an insurance exchange that provides competition on health insurance plans (54 percent).

In a ranking of 17 healthcare reform elements, a public option ranked 11th, with 32 percent of physicians selecting it, and a single payer insurance system ranked 14th, with 22 percent selecting it.

“What’s interesting is that the majority of physicians surveyed are in favor of healthcare reform,” said Jackson. “We found that many believe their voice is not being heard and the issues most important to many physicians are not a high priority in the current debate and reform efforts.