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Can Physicians Affect Patient Adherence With Medication?

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  • Sergei Koulayev
  • Emilia Simeonova
  • Niels Skipper

Abstract

Non‐compliance with medication therapy remains an unsolved and expensive problem for healthcare systems around the world, yet we know little about the factors that affect a patient's decision to follow treatment recommendations. In particular, there is little evidence on the extent to which doctors can influence patient adherence behavior. This study uses a unique panel dataset comprising all prescription drug users, physicians, and all prescription drug sales in Denmark over 7 years to analyze the contributions of doctor‐specific, patient‐specific, and drug‐specific factors to the adherence decision. We find that physicians exert substantial influence on patient compliance. Further, the quality of the match between a doctor and a patient accounts for a substantial portion of the variation in adherence outcomes. This suggests that the sorting of patients across doctors is an important mechanism that affects patient adherence beyond the effects of individual patient‐specific and physician‐specific factors. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Sergei Koulayev & Emilia Simeonova & Niels Skipper, 2017. "Can Physicians Affect Patient Adherence With Medication?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(6), pages 779-794, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:26:y:2017:i:6:p:779-794
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.3357
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    Cited by:

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    2. Katharina E. Blankart & Friederike Arndt, 2020. "Physician-Level Cost Control Measures and Regional Variation of Biosimilar Utilization in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-14, June.
    3. Chauvin, Pauline & Fustinoni, Sarah & Seematter-Bagnoud, Laurence & Herr, Marie & Santos Eggimann, Brigitte, 2021. "Potentially inappropriate prescriptions: Associations with the health insurance contract and the quality of the patient–physician relationship?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(9), pages 1146-1157.
    4. Emilia Simeonova & Niels Skipper & Peter R. Thingholm, 2020. "Physician Health Management Skills and Patient Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 26735, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Marianne Simonsen & Lars Skipper & Niels Skipper & Peter Rønø Thingholm, 2019. "Discontinuity in Care: Practice Closures among Primary Care Providers and Patient Health," Economics Working Papers 2019-08, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    6. Peter Rønø Thingholm, 2023. "Provider Spill-Overs in Opioid Prescription Leniency and Patient – Labor Market Outcomes," Economics Working Papers 2023-05, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    7. Clémence Bussière & Nicolas Sirven & Thomas Rapp & Christine Sevilla‐Dedieu, 2020. "Adherence to medical follow‐up recommendations reduces hospital admissions: Evidence from diabetic patients in France," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(4), pages 508-522, April.
    8. Hannes Ullrich & Michael Allan Ribers, 2023. "Machine predictions and human decisions with variation in payoffs and skill: the case of antibiotic prescribing," Berlin School of Economics Discussion Papers 0027, Berlin School of Economics.
    9. Fadlon, Itzik & Van Parys, Jessica, 2020. "Primary care physician practice styles and patient care: Evidence from physician exits in Medicare," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    10. Di Novi, Cinzia & Leporatti, Lucia & Levaggi, Rosella & Montefiori, Marcello, 2022. "Adherence during COVID-19: The role of aging and socio-economics status in shaping drug utilization," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 1-14.

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