Experimental evidence on behavioural nudges in health

This chapter provides an overview of the use of incentivized experiments in studying healthful behaviour while highlighting the fact that the area suffers from a paucity of such experimental research with much earlier research relying on non-incentivized decisions. While experimental work, particularly in the form of randomized controlled trials, have made significant inroads into areas such as development economics, health economics has remained somewhat immune even though this area is ripe for the application of such techniques. The chapter covers four topics: measuring preferences, information interventions, price-based interventions, and payments systems. We suggest that some experiments in this area can be improved upon, particularly in terms of ensuring that subjects face opportunity costs of their choices. There are also important unanswered questions in terms of the longer term of persistence of interventions.