Reuters (11/27, Rapaport) reports on a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine finding that patients report less satisfaction with a physician who refuses “requests for things like prescriptions or lab tests.” The study was based on a survey of 1,141 patients and 1,319 doctor visits. The survey found that “about two-thirds of these visits included at least one patient request” and while the requests were approved “85% of the time,” when requests were refused “patient satisfaction scores…were dramatically lower” after those visits than after visits when requests were approved. Scores ranged from -30 to +30, though the lowest relevant average was -20 which followed refusals to requests for referral “to another clinician” or for “non-pain prescription drugs.” Negative scores also followed refused requests for “pain medications (-11) and lab tests (-9).” The survey found no effect for refusing “requests for antibiotics, radiology or other tests.”