This report was based on a three-part original survey conducted by Consumer Reports in the summer and fall of 2006. We asked 25,184 respondents to our Annual Questionnaire (all print subscribers) about the doctor they see for treatment of their most troublesome medical condition. Another 13,906 subscribers to our Web site, www.consumerreports.org, answered an online survey about their preventive-care visits. To provide perspective from the other side of the exam table, a random sample of 335 primary-care physicians answered questions about their perceptions of the current health-care system and their experiences with their patients.
