IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jhecon/v75y2021ics0167629620310523.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is great information good enough? Evidence from physicians as patients

Author

Listed:
  • Frakes, Michael
  • Gruber, Jonathan
  • Jena, Anupam

Abstract

We place an upper bound on the degree to which policies aimed at improving the information deficiencies of patients may lead to greater adherence to clinical guidelines and recommended practices. To do so, we compare the degree of adherence attained by a group of patients that should have the best possible information on health care practices—i.e., physicians as patients—with that attained by a comparable group of non-physician patients, taking various steps to account for unobservable differences between the two groups. Our results suggest that physicians, at best, do only slightly better in adhering to both low- and high-value care guidelines than non-physicians.

Suggested Citation

  • Frakes, Michael & Gruber, Jonathan & Jena, Anupam, 2021. "Is great information good enough? Evidence from physicians as patients," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:75:y:2021:i:c:s0167629620310523
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2020.102406
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167629620310523
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2020.102406?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bart J. Bronnenberg & Jean-Pierre Dubé & Matthew Gentzkow & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2015. "Do Pharmacists Buy Bayer? Informed Shoppers and the Brand Premium," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 130(4), pages 1669-1726.
    2. Zarek C. Brot-Goldberg & Amitabh Chandra & Benjamin R. Handel & Jonathan T. Kolstad, 2017. "What does a Deductible Do? The Impact of Cost-Sharing on Health Care Prices, Quantities, and Spending Dynamics," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 132(3), pages 1261-1318.
    3. David M. Cutler & Robert S. Huckman & Mary Beth Landrum, 2004. "The Role of Information in Medical Markets: An Analysis of Publicly Reported Outcomes in Cardiac Surgery," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(2), pages 342-346, May.
    4. Bundorf, M. Kate & Chun, Natalie & Goda, Gopi Shah & Kessler, Daniel P., 2009. "Do markets respond to quality information? The case of fertility clinics," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 718-727, May.
    5. Yiqun Chen & Petra Persson & Maria Polyakova, 2019. "The Roots of Health Inequality and The Value of Intra-Family Expertise," NBER Working Papers 25618, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Erin M. Johnson & M. Marit Rehavi, 2016. "Physicians Treating Physicians: Information and Incentives in Childbirth," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 8(1), pages 115-141, February.
    7. Wang, Justin & Hockenberry, Jason & Chou, Shin-Yi & Yang, Muzhe, 2011. "Do bad report cards have consequences? Impacts of publicly reported provider quality information on the CABG market in Pennsylvania," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 392-407, March.
    8. Jonathan T. Kolstad, 2013. "Information and Quality When Motivation Is Intrinsic: Evidence from Surgeon Report Cards," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(7), pages 2875-2910, December.
    9. Jonathan T. Kolstad, 2013. "Information and Quality when Motivation is Intrinsic: Evidence from Surgeon Report Cards," NBER Working Papers 18804, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Elisabeth Artmann & Hessel Oosterbeek & Bas van der Klaauw, 2022. "Do Doctors Improve the Health Care of Their Parents? Evidence from Admission Lotteries," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 164-184, July.
    11. Leuven, Edwin & Oosterbeek, Hessel & de Wolf, Inge, 2013. "The effects of medical school on health outcomes: Evidence from admission lotteries," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 698-707.
    12. Michael Frakes & Jonathan Gruber, 2020. "Defensive Medicine and Obstetric Practices: Evidence from the Military Health System," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(1), pages 4-37, March.
    13. Michael Chernew & Zack Cooper & Eugene Larsen-Hallock & Fiona Scott Morton, 2018. "Are Health Care Services Shoppable? Evidence from the Consumption of Lower-Limb MRI Scans," NBER Working Papers 24869, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Michael Frakes & Jonathan Gruber, 2019. "Defensive Medicine: Evidence from Military Immunity," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 197-231, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Stacey H. & Chen, Jennjou & Chuang, Hongwei & Lin, Tzu-Hsin, 2023. "Physicians Treating Physicians: Relational and Informational Advantages in Treatment and Survival," IZA Discussion Papers 16048, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Anupam Jena & David Slusky & Lilly Springer, 2023. "Occupational Hazard? An Analysis of Birth Outcomes Among Physician Mothers," NBER Working Papers 31955, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Amy Finkelstein & Petra Persson & Maria Polyakova & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2022. "A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Guideline Adherence and Access to Expertise," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 507-526, December.
    4. Deidre Popovich & Kellilynn M. Frias, 2023. "Examining legislation and trends in healthcare pricing: A research agenda for consumer well‐being," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(3), pages 1453-1481, July.
    5. Nicole Black & David W. Johnston & Martin Knapp & Michael A. Shields & Gloria H.Y. Wong, 2024. "Horizontal inequity in the use of mental healthcare in Australia," Papers 2024-14, Centre for Health Economics, Monash University.
    6. Greve, Jane & Kristensen, Søren Rud & Lydiksen, Nis, 2023. "Patient and peer: Guideline design and expert response," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    7. Dahlstrand Rudin, Amanda, 2022. "Defying distance? The provision of services in the digital age," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118042, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Amanda Dahlstrand, 2022. "Defying distance? The provision of services in the digital age," CEP Discussion Papers dp1889, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    9. Hiroaki Suenaga & Maria Rosalía Vicente, 2022. "Online and offline health information seeking and the demand for physician services," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 23(3), pages 337-356, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michael D. Frakes & Jonathan Gruber & Anupam Jena, 2019. "Is Great Information Good Enough? Evidence from Physicians as Patients," NBER Working Papers 26038, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Amy Finkelstein & Petra Persson & Maria Polyakova & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2022. "A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Guideline Adherence and Access to Expertise," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 507-526, December.
    3. Taylor J. Christensen, 2016. "A framework for guiding efforts to reward value instead of volume," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 175-187, June.
    4. Sarah S. Stith & Richard A. Hirth, 2016. "The Effect of Performance Standards on Health Care Provider Behavior: Evidence from Kidney Transplantation," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 789-825, December.
    5. Richards-Shubik, Seth & Roberts, Mark S. & Donohue, Julie M., 2022. "Measuring quality effects in equilibrium," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    6. Bensnes, Simon & Huitfeldt, Ingrid, 2021. "Rumor has it: How do patients respond to patient-generated physician ratings?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    7. Martin Gaynor & Kate Ho & Robert J. Town, 2015. "The Industrial Organization of Health-Care Markets," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 53(2), pages 235-284, June.
    8. Olivella, Pau & Siciliani, Luigi, 2017. "Reputational concerns with altruistic providers," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 1-13.
    9. Van Parys, Jessica & Brown, Zach Y., 2024. "Broadband Internet access and health outcomes: Patient and provider responses in Medicare," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    10. K. John McConnell & Richard C. Lindrooth & Douglas R. Wholey & Thomas M. Maddox & Nick Bloom, 2016. "Modern Management Practices and Hospital Admissions," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(4), pages 470-485, April.
    11. Suzanne Ruwaard & Rudy Douven, 2014. "Quality and hospital choice for cataract treatments: the winner takes most," CPB Discussion Paper 272, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    12. Mariétou H. Ouayogodé & Kurt E. Schnier, 2021. "Patient selection in the presence of regulatory oversight based on healthcare report cards of providers: the case of organ transplantation," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 160-184, March.
    13. Chen, Stacey H. & Chen, Jennjou & Chuang, Hongwei & Lin, Tzu-Hsin, 2023. "Physicians Treating Physicians: Relational and Informational Advantages in Treatment and Survival," IZA Discussion Papers 16048, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Abe Dunn & Adam Hale Shapiro, 2018. "Physician Competition and the Provision of Care: Evidence from Heart Attacks," American Journal of Health Economics, MIT Press, vol. 4(2), pages 226-261, Spring.
    15. Suzanne Ruwaard & Rudy Douven, 2014. "Quality and hospital choice for cataract treatments: the winner takes most," CPB Discussion Paper 272.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    16. Kairies-Schwarz, Nadja & Krieger, Miriam, 2014. "How do Non-Monetary Performance Incentives for Physicians Affect the Quality of Medical Care? A Laboratory Experiment," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100583, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    17. Emilia Simeonova & Niels Skipper & Peter R. Thingholm, 2020. "Physician Health Management Skills and Patient Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 26735, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Nadja Kairies & Miriam Krieger, 2013. "How do Non-Monetary Performance Incentives for Physicians Affect the Quality of Medical Care? – A Laboratory Experiment," Ruhr Economic Papers 0414, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    19. Sendhil Mullainathan & Ziad Obermeyer, 2023. "Diagnosing Physician Error: A Machine Learning Approach to Low-Value Health Care," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 137(2), pages 679-727.
    20. repec:zbw:rwirep:0414 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Christian Leuz & Peter D. Wysocki, 2016. "The Economics of Disclosure and Financial Reporting Regulation: Evidence and Suggestions for Future Research," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 525-622, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:75:y:2021:i:c:s0167629620310523. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505560 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.