Cost containment through medical education

I. Praiss and C. Gjerde

Efforts for containing the costs of health care are currently being directed primarily toward the organization and administration of health care services, and there is increasing legislation pertaining to the financing and reimbursement for medical care. An important area that to date has received insufficient attention as an approach to cost containment is the process of medical education and the training of young physicians. A curriculum on the economic dimensions of medical practice is proposed, and principles for instituting the curriculum are detailed. Such a curriculum would highlight cost-consciousness without compromising the quality of care. The establishment of teaching programs and the development of cost-conscious clinical settings are presented as major challenges to medical schools.