Video: Every Case Tells a Story| Webinar: ACR/CHEST ILD Guidelines in Practice

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

  • Conditions
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis
    • Gout and Crystalline Arthritis
    • Myositis
    • Osteoarthritis and Bone Disorders
    • Pain Syndromes
    • Pediatric Conditions
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Sjögren’s Disease
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
    • Systemic Sclerosis
    • Vasculitis
    • Other Rheumatic Conditions
  • FocusRheum
    • ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis
    • Gout
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  • Guidance
    • Clinical Criteria/Guidelines
    • Ethics
    • Legal Updates
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence
      • Other ACR meetings
      • EULAR/Other
    • Research Rheum
  • Drug Updates
    • Analgesics
    • Biologics/DMARDs
  • Practice Support
    • Billing/Coding
    • EMRs
    • Facility
    • Insurance
    • QA/QI
    • Technology
    • Workforce
  • Opinion
    • Patient Perspective
    • Profiles
    • Rheuminations
      • Video
    • Speak Out Rheum
  • Career
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Awards
    • Career Development
  • ACR
    • ACR Home
    • ACR Convergence
    • ACR Guidelines
    • Journals
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
    • From the College
    • Events/CME
    • President’s Perspective
  • Search

Doctors Often Uncomfortable Soliciting Donations for Patients

Kathryn Doyle  |  October 3, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Many doctors are asked to seek donations from grateful patients after successful cancer treatment, but most physicians are uncomfortable with this idea and feel a conflict of interest, according to a new study.

“There are ethical ways of seeking donations from patients who have the means and want to give back,” Dr. Reshma Jagsi at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor told Reuters Health by email.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

“We need to understand what physicians are being asked to do and create standards that we can all be comfortable with,” Dr. Jagsi said.

Philanthropy is an increasingly important resource for hospitals, Dr. Jagsi and colleagues wrote in an article online Sept. 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. And donations from grateful patients made up approximately 20% of all philanthropic contributions to healthcare centers, totaling nearly $1 billion in 2009, they pointed out.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

These contributions are so important that articles aimed at doctors describe effective techniques for recruiting patient donors, and clinical trials are being done to identify the most effective strategies to encourage doctors to participate in such “grateful patient fundraising,” the authors wrote.

For their study, Dr. Jagsi’s team contacted 800 medical oncologists from 40 comprehensive cancer centers; 405 responded. They filled out printed surveys of their experience with fundraising efforts at their hospitals.

Almost three-quarters said they had been exposed to fundraising or development staff at their institution, and about half of those had been taught how to identify patients who would be good donor candidates. Most often, fundraising staff had contacted the physicians directly.

More than half of doctors with fundraising experience said the fundraising staff contacted them “a few times per year.” During these contacts, the doctors said the fundraisers spoke most often about how important fundraising is to the institution’s success, and how important their personal participation was.

Only about a quarter of the oncologists said they had been given ethical guidelines about soliciting donations from their own patients.

About one in three doctors had been asked to directly solicit a donation from their patients, and half declined to do so. Those who had done it tended to have been in practice longer.

“Our survey suggested that some physicians approach some of their own patients directly or send letters; others participate by making speeches at fundraising events or by making fundraising materials available in their waiting rooms,” Dr. Jagsi said.

Less than half of doctors said they felt comfortable talking to patients about donations. Most agreed the conversation could interfere with the doctor-patient relationship.

Page: 1 2 | Single Page
Share: 

Filed under:Practice SupportProfessional Topics Tagged with:FundraisingPhilanthropyphysician

Related Articles

    Building on Accomplishments

    December 1, 2009

    As I assume the presidency of the REF, I reflect on the accomplishments of the organization over the past two years, and I wish to thank my immediate predecessor, Leslie J. Crofford, MD, for her tremendous leadership. The achievements of the REF during her term have been truly impressive.

    Practice & Society Donations Advance Advocacy Efforts for Rheumatologists & Patients

    October 3, 2019

    A new RheumPAC fund, which supports awareness and operations of the ACR’s political action committee, has exceeded an initial goal of $20,000 by two times in its first year.

    Ethics Forum: Personal Ethics Questions Surrounding RheumPAC Donations

    October 14, 2015

    Imagine you’ve just heard a compelling presentation urging all ACR members to contribute to RheumPAC, the ACR’s political action committee. RheumPAC’s mission is to support politicians who support issues important to rheumatologists. You are impressed by the role RheumPAC has played in a number of issues you support. Just as you’re writing a check, you…

    On Boulders & Other Projects

    December 18, 2019

    The year is drawing to a close, and I have not been forced to release a statement that I am leaving The Rheumatologist “to spend more time with my family.” Once again, improbably, I have made it to the finish line. Given that, now seems to be a good time to reflect, and to give…

  • About Us
  • Meet the Editors
  • Issue Archives
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies. ISSN 1931-3268 (print). ISSN 1931-3209 (online).
  • DEI Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Preferences