The American journal of managed care
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Patients worry about financial conflicts of interest related to cost containment but may hesitate to share this concern with their physician. Little is known about how this issue affects encounters between doctors and patients, or about the communication strategies physicians endorse for responding to such concerns. ⋯ Patient concern about conflicts of interest is adversely impacting the physician-patient interaction. Physicians should be alert to patients' implicit expressions of concern about conflicts of interest, and practice communication techniques for responding to these concerns effectively.