My colleagues and I think this unintended consequence presents a marketing opportunity for astute physicians with no ties to drug and device companies.
A bit of background: Policymakers have long been concerned that the payments drug and device firms make to doctors can influence clinical decisions in ways that aren’t good for patients. The Physician Payments Sunshine Act (part of the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010) mandated public reporting of these industry payments through its Open Payments program so patients would be better informed about their physicians.