Informational Frictions and Practice Variation: Evidence from Physicians in Training / David C. Chan, Jr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chan, David C, Jr.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w21855.

NBER working paper series no. w21855

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Informational Frictions and Practice Variation

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2016.

Summary:

Substantial practice variation across physicians for seemingly similar patients remains an unresolved puzzle. This paper studies physicians in training to explore the behavioral foundations of practice variation. A discontinuity in the formation of teams reveals a large contribution of relative experience in the size of practice variation. Among the same physician trainees, convergence towards a common practice differs by practice environment, with more convergence in specialist-driven services. Rich trainee characteristics and training histories, including the practice styles of prior supervising physicians, explain little if any variation. These findings suggest a major role for informational frictions in the origins of practice variation.

Notes:

Print version record

January 2016.