Looking to the Future: Medical Students' Views on Health Care Reform and Professional Responsibility

Abstract

Purpose Although medical students will influence the future U.S. health care system, their opinions on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) have not been assessed since the 2016 presidential election and elimination of key ACA provisions. Understanding medical students' views on health care policy and professional obligations can provide insight into issues that will be shaped by the next generation of physicians. Method From October 2017 to November 2017, the authors conducted an electronic survey of medical students from seven U.S. institutions to elicit opinions regarding the ACA and their professional responsibility to address health policy. Participant demographics and responses were tabulated, and multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of demographic characteristics with student opinions. Results Completed surveys were returned by 1,660/4,503 (36.9%) eligible medical students. Respondent demographics were similar to national estimates. In total, 89.1% (1,475/1,660) supported the ACA, and 82.0% (1,362/1,660) reported that they understood the health care law. Knowledge of the law's provisions was positively associated with support for the ACA (P