Ep. 80: Health equity and medical misinformation, with Gary Price, M.D., MBA, president of The Physicians Foundation

Gary Price, M.D., MBA, joins Medical Economics senior editor Richard Payerchin to discuss The Physicians Foundation’s latest initiatives, including open grants addressing social drivers of health and physician well-being. Price reflects on the legacy of Richard “Buz” Cooper, M.D.’s research linking poverty and health care costs, highlights examples of community-driven solutions and explains how food insecurity and local conditions shape patient outcomes.

The conversation also delves into new survey findings on medical misinformation and disinformation, why rural doctors see it as a bigger challenge and how physicians must evolve their communication strategies to meet patients where they get their information.

The Physician Foundation's survey: "The Effect of Misinformation and Disinformation on Physicians’ Ability to Provide Quality Care"

Don't miss our previous episodes on the state of health policy, remote patient monitoring (RPM), what's broken in health care and what AI can do for prior authorizations.

Music Credits:
Jazz Lounge by Alexey Anisimov - stock.adobe.com
Relaxing Lounge by Classy Call me Man - stock.adobe.com
A Textbook Example by Skip Peck - stock.adobe.com

Editor's note: Episode timestamps and transcript produced using AI tools.

Introduction and Episode Overview (00:00:16) Host introduces the podcast, episode focus on physician workforce, burnout and future of medicine.

Introducing The Physicians Foundation (00:01:35) Dr. Price explains the Foundation’s mission to empower physicians and improve health care.

Current Grant Opportunities (00:02:06) Discussion of open grant applications, especially for drivers of health and physician wellbeing.

Defining Drivers of Health (00:02:52) Explanation of social drivers of health and their impact on patient outcomes and health care costs.

Dr. Richard “Buz” Cooper’s Research (00:03:39) Overview of Dr. Cooper’s work on poverty, health care costs and the Foundation’s support of his research.

Impact of Poverty on Health care Costs (00:05:10) How zip codes and poverty levels correlate with higher health care costs.

Working with Dr. Cooper (00:05:48) Dr. Price’s personal experience collaborating with Dr. Cooper on his research and book.

Dr. Cooper’s Findings and Examples (00:06:25) Details of Dr. Cooper’s analysis, including the “Take the A Train” chapter and cost disparities in NYC.

Economic Benefits of Addressing Social Drivers (00:07:49) Argument for investing in upstream social factors to reduce chronic disease and costs.

Health care Utilization in Impoverished Areas (00:08:41) Why patients in poorer areas require more services and face barriers to care.

Dr. Gabriel Oyeyemi and the Buzz Cooper Award (00:09:43) Highlighting Dr. Oyeyemi’s work at Cherry Hill Free Clinic and his approach to social drivers.

Lessons from Dr. Oyeyemi’s Example (00:11:15) What other physicians can learn from Dr. Oyeyemi’s creative, community-based interventions.

Foundation’s Grant Program Goals (00:12:14) Foundation’s interest in locally-based, creative solutions for addressing social drivers of health.

Importance of Local Approaches (00:13:11) Emphasis on tailoring interventions to local community needs and cultures.

Patient Care Online Resource Plug (00:13:46) Brief mention of Patient Care Online as a clinical resource for physicians.

Doctors’ Community Knowledge (00:14:04) Discussion of how physicians’ local knowledge benefits patient care.

Policy and the “Make America Healthy Again” Movement (00:14:43) How social drivers fit into new public health initiatives and policy changes.

Nutrition and Social Drivers (00:15:22) Importance of access to healthy food as a key social driver of health.

Physician Training on Food as Medicine (00:16:24) Anticipation of more doctors guiding patients on nutrition and food choices.

Policy Recommendations for Social Drivers (00:17:42) Suggestions for regulatory changes, such as including healthy food access in Medicare/Medicaid.

How to Apply for Foundation Grants (00:20:54) Information on grant application process and funding details.

Encouragement for Grant Applications (00:21:38) Foundation’s excitement about supporting new research proposals.

PTO Management Minute Segment (00:22:01) Brief interlude offering practice management tips and call for listener submissions.

Resource Limitations for Grants (00:22:53) Acknowledgment of limited resources and hope for more applicants.

Upcoming Physician Survey Results (00:23:13) Introduction to discussion on new survey about medical misinformation and disinformation.

Key Findings on Misinformation (00:23:43) Survey results: over half of physicians see misinformation as a barrier to care, especially in rural areas.

Physician Confidence vs. Reality (00:24:53) Surprising disconnect between physicians’ confidence in addressing misinformation and actual patient outcomes.

Need for New Communication Strategies (00:28:00) Call for improved, evidence-based communication methods to counter misinformation.

Personal Anecdote on Misinformation (00:28:59) Dr. Price shares a personal story about a patient refusing a COVID test due to misinformation.

Prevalence and Impact of Misinformation (00:31:25) Recognition that misinformation is a widespread, urgent issue in medicine.

Closing Thoughts on Survey and Action Needed (00:32:40) Emphasis on the need for more research and new approaches to address misinformation, especially in rural areas.

Episode Wrap-Up and Credits (00:33:20) Host thanks guests and listeners, provides subscription information and credits production team.