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A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Guideline Adherence and Access to Expertise

Author

Listed:
  • Finkelstein, Amy

    (MIT)

  • Persson, Petra

    (Stanford University)

  • Polyakova, Maria

    (Stanford University)

  • Shapiro, Jesse M.

    (Brown University)

Abstract

We use population administrative data from Sweden to study adherence to 63 medication-related guidelines. We compare the adherence of patients without personal access to medical expertise to the adherence of those with access, namely doctors and their close relatives. We estimate that, among observably similar patients, access to expertise is associated with 3.8 percentage points lower adherence, relative to a baseline adherence rate of 54.4 percent among those without access. This association is larger for recommendations with a weaker clinical motivation. Our findings suggest an important role in non-adherence for factors other than those, such as ignorance, complexity, or failures of patient-provider communication, that would be expected to diminish with access to expertise.

Suggested Citation

  • Finkelstein, Amy & Persson, Petra & Polyakova, Maria & Shapiro, Jesse M., 2021. "A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Guideline Adherence and Access to Expertise," Working Paper Series 1421, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:iuiwop:1421
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    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. 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.
    4. Greve, Jane & Kristensen, Søren Rud & Lydiksen, Nis, 2023. "Patient and peer: Guideline design and expert response," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    5. Humlum, Maria Knoth & Morthorst, Marius Opstrup & Thingholm, Peter Rønø, 2024. "Sibling spillovers and the choice to get vaccinated: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    6. 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.
    7. Amanda Dahlstrand, 2022. "Defying distance? The provision of services in the digital age," CEP Discussion Papers dp1889, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    8. Frank A. Sloan, 2024. "Subjective beliefs, health, and health behaviors," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 69(2), pages 105-144, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Information; Medical decision-making; Experts;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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