Comparison of US and UK doctors' reported behaviours
| Behaviour (all in past year except where indicated) | Country | Adjusted percentage replying ‘Yes’ | SE | p Value |
| Making the patient your first concern, avoiding conflicts of interest | ||||
| Have you received any gifts/samples from drug, device or other medically related companies (past year)? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 83.3 | 1.27 | 0.0002 |
| UK | 73.2 | 2.52 | ||
| Providing good care, commitment to improving care, keeping up to date | ||||
| Have you changed your practice after familiarising yourself with a practice guideline relevant to your field (past 3 years)? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 93.1 | 0.83 | 0.1436 |
| UK | 95.5 | 1.18 | ||
| Have you participated in a formal medical error reduction initiative in your office, clinic, hospital or other healthcare setting (past 3 years)? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 55.7 | 1.66 | <0.0001 |
| UK | 70.9 | 2.42 | ||
| Have you participated in the development of formal clinical practice guidelines (past 3 years)? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 49.6 | 1.67 | <0.0001 |
| UK | 82.8 | 2 | ||
| Have you reviewed another doctor's medical records for the purpose of quality improvement (past 3 years)? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 55.0 | 1.66 | 0.8807 |
| UK | 54.5 | 2.73 | ||
| Taking action (including relevant reporting) to deal with colleagues' poor performance | ||||
| Have you had direct personal knowledge of a doctor who was impaired or incompetent to practise medicine in your hospital or practice? Percentage replying ‘Yes’ in past 3 years. | USA | 16.5 | 1.23 | 0.3839 |
| UK | 18.7 | 2.14 | ||
| In the most recent case, did you report that doctor to a hospital, clinical, professional society or other relevant body? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 65.3 | 3.77 | 0.2944 |
| UK | 72.7 | 5.7 | ||
| In the most recent case did you have a personal discussion with that doctors about his/her problems? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 59.7 | 3.88 | 0.3923 |
| UK | 65.9 | 5.79 | ||
| In the most recent case did you stop referring your patients to that doctor? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 72.4 | 3.7 | <0.0001 |
| UK | 17.2 | 5.01 | ||
| In the most recent case did you not report the doctor because you were afraid of retribution? Percentage replying ‘Yes’ (for doctors who had experience of an impaired colleague and decided not to report them). | USA | 12.4 | 2.5 | 0.1717 |
| UK | 34.2 | 20.23 | ||
| In the most recent case did you not report the doctor because you though someone else was taking care of the problem? Percentage replying ‘Yes’ (for doctors who had experience of an impaired colleague and decided not to report them). | USA | 20.1 | 3.18 | 0.6993 |
| UK | 25.7 | 15.09 | ||
| In the most recent case did you not report the doctor because you believed that nothing would happen as a result? Percentage replying ‘Yes’ (for doctors who had experience of an impaired colleague and decided not to report them). | USA | 15.9 | 2.74 | 0.8297 |
| UK | 14.3 | 6.38 | ||
| Respecting patients' autonomy to choose between appropriate courses of clinical action and/or decline investigations or treatments | ||||
| Have you prescribed a brand name drug when a generic was available because the patient asked for the brand name drug specifically? Percentage replying ‘Never.’ | USA | 18.8 | 1.27 | 0.2972 |
| UK | 21.4 | 1.95 | ||
| Have you given a patient a referral to a specialist because the patient wanted it when you believed it was not indicated? Percentage replying ‘Never.’ | USA | 16.7 | 1.11 | 0.1023 |
| UK | 13.2 | 1.61 | ||
| Maintaining confidentiality of information about patients and their conditions | ||||
| Have you intentionally or unintentionally revealed to an unauthorised person health information about one of your patients? Percentage replying ‘Never.’ | USA | 71.3 | 1.51 | 0.1181 |
| UK | 75.9 | 2.37 | ||
| Being truthful to patients and to colleagues, including when things go wrong | ||||
| Have you told an adult patient or child's guardian something that was not true? Percentage replying ‘Never.’ | USA | 89.4 | 1.05 | 0.014 |
| UK | 94.1 | 1.3 | ||
| Have you not fully disclosed a mistake to a patient because you were afraid of being sued? Percentage replying ‘Never.’ | USA | 21.4 | 1.37 | 0.0017 |
| UK | 12.7 | 1.99 | ||
| Avoiding inappropriate relationships with patients | ||||
| Have you provided direct patient care for a person with whom you have a financial relationship? | USA | 8.7 | 0.94 | <0.001 |
| UK | 0.8 | 0.42 | ||
| Avoiding discrimination—for example on grounds of race or creed | ||||
| Have you refused to provide medical services or give information about medical services based on your religious beliefs (past 3 years)? Percentage replying ‘Never.’ | USA | 94.9 | 0.76 | 0.1431 |
| UK | 97.0 | 0.98 | ||
| Have you provided health-related expertise to local community organisations—for example school boards, parent-teaching organisations, athletic teams or local media (past 3 years)? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 40.9 | 1.63 | 0.0002 |
| UK | 29.1 | 2.51 | ||
| Have you looked for data on possible disparities in care due to race, gender or income in your practice, clinic, hospital or other healthcare setting (past 3 years)? Percentage replying ‘Yes.’ | USA | 12.4 | 1.1 | 0.4373 |
| UK | 14.1 | 1.96 | ||
Values adjusted for country differences in gender, years since qualification, specialty, country of graduation and part-time working.
Home graduate: graduate from a medical school in the country of survey (USA/Canada or UK).
Working full time: ≥40 h/week.