Journal of Economic Perspectives
ISSN 0895-3309 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7965 (Online)
Diffusion of Information in Medical Care
Journal of Economic Perspectives
vol. 6,
no. 3, Summer 1992
(pp. 23–42)
(Complimentary)
Abstract
This paper presents evidence that doctors behave very differently in making treatment recommendations depending on the region where they work, creating large variations in the quantities of care delivered to seemingly standardized populations. This evidence on "variations" (and the failure of normal explanations of the variations) leaves almost by default the idea that incomplete diffusion of information about the efficacy of medical information must be largely responsible. The paper then discusses reasons why this problem might occur: difficulties in collecting information about the success of medical procedures; difficulties in establishing property rights to such information, even if it were to be collected; and liability considerations that hinder adoption of any information that is collected. It concludes with some suggestions for addressing these problems.Citation
Phelps, Charles E. 1992. "Diffusion of Information in Medical Care." Journal of Economic Perspectives 6 (3): 23–42. DOI: 10.1257/jep.6.3.23JEL Classification
- I11 Analysis of Health Care Markets