Doctor Decision-Making and Patient Outcomes
Abstract
Doctors often treat similar patients differently, which affects health outcomes and medical spending. We assess the recent literature on doctor decision-making through the lens of a model that incorporates diagnostic and procedural skills, beliefs, incentives, and differences in patient pools. Decision-making is affected by beliefs, training, experience, peer effects, financial incentives, and time constraints. Interventions to improve decision-making include providing information, guidelines, and technologies like electronic medical records and algorithmic decision tools. Economists have made progress in understanding doctor decision-making, but applications of that knowledge to improving health care are still limited. (JEL D83, D91, G51, I11, I14, J24, J44)
Fields of Study & Subjects
Healthcare Policy and Management
Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Economic Literature
- Publisher
- American Economic Association
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 141–194
- Publication date
- 26 February 2026
- Language
- EN