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Sending emails to reduce medical costs? The effect of feedback on general practitioners’ claiming of fees

Author

Listed:
  • Aars, Ole Kristian

    (Department of Health Management and Health Economics)

  • Godager, Geir

    (Health Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway)

  • Kaarboe, Oddvar

    (Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care and Department of Economics, University of Bergen, Norway)

  • Moger, Tron Anders

    (Department of Health Management and Health Economics)

Abstract

Audit and feedback is used as a strategy to guide practices of health care professionals towards certain targets. The outcome of interest can be quality improvements, but also ensuring that health care workers adhere to relevant regulations. We conducted a nationwide field experiment in the Norwegian primary care sector to study the behavioral responses from giving general practitioners feedback (GPs) on their claiming of fees. The email-based feedback intervention targeted GPs who most frequently claimed fees for double consultations and provided them with a reminder of the formal regulations for double consultations. The intervention caused a 2-5 percentage point reduction in the use of the double-consultation fee, reducing the yearly health care spending of the Norwegian government by approximately 000 (or 1 270 per GP).

Suggested Citation

  • Aars, Ole Kristian & Godager, Geir & Kaarboe, Oddvar & Moger, Tron Anders, 2022. "Sending emails to reduce medical costs? The effect of feedback on general practitioners’ claiming of fees," HERO Online Working Paper Series 2022:1, University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:oslohe:2022_001
    DOI: https://www.med.uio.no/helsam/forskning/nettverk/hero/publikasjoner/skriftserie/2022/2022-1.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Omar Al-Ubaydli & John List & Claire Mackevicius & Min Sok Lee & Dana Suskind, 2019. "How Can Experiments Play a Greater Role in Public Policy? 12 Proposals from an Economic Model of Scaling," Artefactual Field Experiments 00679, The Field Experiments Website.
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    7. Al-Ubaydli, Omar & Lee, Min Sok & List, John A. & Mackevicius, Claire L. & Suskind, Dana, 2021. "A rejoinder: ‘How can experiments play a greater role in public policy? Twelve proposals from an economic model of scaling’," Behavioural Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 125-134, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Physician payment system; Field experiment; Performance disclosure; Fee-for service; Information and product quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality

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