Bill O'Reilly cites a poll taken by the New England Journal of Medicine and here's his headline on how physicians feel about the health care bill. 46
March 17, 2010

Bill O'Reilly cites a poll taken by the New England Journal of Medicine and here's his headline on how physicians feel about the health care bill.

46.3% May Leave Medical Profession

Here's what the poll actually says:

Health Reform and Primary Care Physicians

46.3%of primary care physicians (family medicine and internal medicine) feel that the passing of health reform will either force them out of medicine or make them want to leave medicine.

Given the amount of false information being put out there about what is in the bill and the fear mongering that's been done by the Republican Party and the media, I've got to wonder if the poll is really a good indication of what these doctors might do once it passes. I also don't know what line of work those doctors think they would have to turn to if they're not happy with the bill after it passes given the shape our economy is in.

I'm not counting on Bill O'Reilly to give us any sort of in depth analysis that's anything but hype to scare the crap out everyone on those numbers any time soon. It will be nice to hear from someone who is not a ClusterFox fear monger on those numbers once more people have a chance to take a look at the poll.

UPDATED: John Amato:

Well, well, well. The New England Journal of Medicine says they never produced a health care survey.

For example, on Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade said: "The New England Journal of Medicine has published a report and did a survey, and they said the impact of reform on primary care physicians, 46 percent, they say, feel reform will force them out or make them want to leave medicine."

This is false.

Media Matters for America contacted the New England Journal of Medicine, which confirmed it neither conducted nor published the "survey."

NEJM spokesperson Jennifer Zeis told Media Matters that the study had "nothing to do with the New England Journal of Medicine's original research." She also made clear that the study "was not published by the New England Journal of Medicine," and said that "we are taking steps to clarify the source of the survey."

The "report" that right-wing media are citing actually appeared in Recruiting Physicians Today, which is an employment newsletter produced by "the publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine." According to Zeis, that report actually "was written by the Medicus Firm," the medical recruitment firm that conducted the "survey."

UPDATE: Following inquiries from Media Matters, the "NEJM CareerCenter" website has now posted the following statement, making clear that Recruiting Physicians Today is a "free advertiser newsletter" whose content is "produced by physician recruiting firms and other independent groups involved in physician employment" and that Medicus was responsible for conducting and publishing the "survey" in question...read on

Will Bill O'Reilly issue a correction tonight?

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