MDLinx Poll: Who Do Docs Back For President? Depends On Where They Work

Hospital-based physicians back Obama, solo practitioners support Romney 2 to 1

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An MDLinx (www.mdlinx.com) survey of 4681 U.S. physicians taken in the past week showed a stark difference in doctors’ presidential preferences based upon their workplace. The poll, conducted October 5-9, surveyed likely voters among the extensive MDLinx U.S. physician database. Overall, the U.S. physicians favored Governor Romney (53 percent of respondents) over President Obama (33 percent of respondents), with 12 percent undecided and the remaining respondents supporting third party candidates. Which candidate was supported depended most strongly upon place of employment. Hospital-based physicians preferred President Obama by a 47 to 37 percent margin, with 12 percent undecided and the remainder other. At the opposite end of the spectrum, likely voters among solo practitioners expressed a two-to-one preference for Governor Romney (58 to 28 percent, with 11 percent undecided and the remainder for other candidates). MDLinx, a web property of M3 USA (http://usa.m3.com) is the nation’s leading specialty physician portal.

“Nearly one third said that their vote was ‘completely’ or ‘mostly’ influenced by the candidate’s healthcare policy, with only about 7 percent answering ‘not at all’.”

“Healthcare has charged to the top of the campaigns’ messaging this year, and U.S. physicians have a lot invested in the direction taken in the next administration,” said Stephen Smith, Chief Marketing Officer for MDLinx. “While there were several observed trends, the most substantial was that as the size of the physician’s workplace fell from hospital-based to solo practitioner, each step down in size showed an additional shift toward the Republican candidate.”

Smith said doctors are following the issue with the attention one would expect. “Nearly one third said that their vote was ‘completely’ or ‘mostly’ influenced by the candidate’s healthcare policy, with only about 7 percent answering ‘not at all’.” In terms of the October 3 presidential debate, 18.5 percent said it moved their preference toward Governor Romney, and 1.9 percent said it moved their preference to President Obama.

Many survey participants expressed a need for a change in the healthcare system. One physician commented that “as a moral society, we need to take steps toward universal healthcare.” Others, particularly small practices, made comments reflecting the concern that the new compensation structure would seriously negatively affect their business. “I think if Obama goes through with his plan...there will be no doctors,” said one physician respondent. “No one is going to take on that liability if they are only paid as much as their nurse.”

One physician respondent expressed frustration with the lack of information of the various plans’ impact on doctors: “While October 3 debate did a little more to address healthcare for patients, it did not address any of doctors’ concerns such as cost of doing business, cost of education, tort reform, etc.”

About M3 USA

M3 USA is a part of M3, Inc. and M3 Group. M3 Group operates in the US, Asia, and Europe with more than 1 million physician members globally via its physician websites such as www.m3.com, www.mdlinx.com, www.doctors.net.uk, and www.medigate.net.

M3, Inc., a publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (JP: 2413) provides services to healthcare and life science industry to reach out to their audience. M3 services include medical education, ethical drug promotion, market research, clinical development, job recruitment, and clinic appointment services. M3 has offices in Tokyo, Washington DC, and Princeton, Oxford, London and Seoul.

About MDLinx

MDLinx (www.mdlinx.com) is an award-winning, practical medical information tool used by busy physicians and healthcare professionals to stay up to date with the latest research in the medical field. On a daily basis, the company’s physician editors read, rank and sort published data and research from leading news media and more than 1,300 peer-reviewed journals in 35 specialties. MDLinx’s content and services are provided at no charge to member physicians. MDLinx is a web property of M3 USA, http://usa.m3.com, which offers information solutions to healthcare providers and industry.