Patients skeptical of evidence-based care

Americans with health insurance are skeptical of evidence-based healthcare due to misconceptions and a lack of knowledge of the principles, according to a study published on the journal Health Affairs' Web site.

Among the findings, based on group and one-on-one interviews, and a 1,500-participant online survey, consumers believe that medical guidelines are inflexible.

Many one-on-one interviewees said they preferred to trust their own and their physicians' judgments about quality and thought that relying on clinical practice guidelines would take away their ability to choose.