Physician Health Management Skills and Patient Outcomes

Emilia Simeonova, Niels Skipper and Peter R. Thingholm

No 26735, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: A host of different factors affect health and longevity, ranging from genetic endowments to public policy. Physicians have a substantial influence on patients’ health and health-related costs, but we know little about the extent of this influence beyond clinical decisions such as adequate diagnosis and treatment. This paper demonstrates that the health management styles of primary care physicians significantly affect the health outcomes of their patients. Using data on the population of statin users in Denmark and matching patients to their primary care physicians, we show that the physician’s ability to facilitate adherence with prescription medications has significant positive effects on patient outcomes and health costs even after controlling for observable and unobservable patient characteristics. Policy interventions aimed at improving this aspect of physicians’ health management styles have important implications for patient outcomes and health care costs.

JEL-codes: I1 I12 J18 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-lab
Note: AG EH
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published as Emilia Simeonova & Niels Skipper & Peter Rønø Thingholm, 2024. "Physician Health Management Skills and Patient Outcomes," Journal of Human Resources, vol 59(3), pages 777-809.

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