Doctor Who? The Effect of Physician-Patient Match on The SES-Health Gradient

Ida Lykke Kristiansen and Sophie Yanying Sheng
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Ida Lykke Kristiansen: CEBI, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen
Sophie Yanying Sheng: University of California San Diego

No 22-05, CEBI working paper series from University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. The Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI)

Abstract: We investigate whether primary care physician and patient concordance in terms of socio-economic status (SES) reduces the SES inequality in health. We measure physicians’ SES by their childhood SES and find that SES concordance decreases low-SES patients’ mortality, while high-SES patients’ mortality does not depend on their physicians’ background. Together, they translate to a 24% reduction in the SES-mortality gradient. SES concordance changes the health behavior of the patient and increases treatment of chronic conditions: low-SES patients with low-SES physicians receive more care at the intensive margin, have a higher detection of chronic conditions, and have higher adherence to treatment.

Keywords: health inequality; physician practice style; intergenerational transmission; family background; socio-economic status; health behaviors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 I14 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 73
Date: 2022-07-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kud:kucebi:2205

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