IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/hepoli/v161y2025ics0168851025001708.html

Understanding physician prescription behaviors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of macro, meso, and micro-level influences

Author

Listed:
  • Moretti, Giaele
  • Ferrè, Francesca
  • Martelli, Alma
  • Cantarelli, Paola

Abstract

Prescription is a complex act that reflects the physician's expertise and authority. While some factors affecting prescription decisions have been studied, empirical findings often conflict, leaving our understanding of prescription behaviors limited and fragmented.

Suggested Citation

  • Moretti, Giaele & Ferrè, Francesca & Martelli, Alma & Cantarelli, Paola, 2025. "Understanding physician prescription behaviors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of macro, meso, and micro-level influences," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:161:y:2025:i:c:s0168851025001708
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2025.105415
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168851025001708
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.healthpol.2025.105415?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. ., 2020. "Economic development in Europe and the United States," Chapters, in: The Rule of Law, Economic Development, and Corporate Governance, chapter 6, pages 149-177, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Hajizadeh, Anisa & Heath, Laura & Ahmad, Aryati & Kebbe, Maryam & Jebb, Susan Anne & Aveyard, Paul & Hughes, Gemma, 2023. "Clinician resistance to broaching the topic of weight in primary care: Digging deeper into weight management using strong structuration theory," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    3. Matthias Richter & Nico Dragano, 2018. "Micro, macro, but what about meso? The institutional context of health inequalities," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(2), pages 163-164, March.
    4. David M. Cutler & Kaushik Ghosh & Kassandra Messer & Trivellore Raghunathan & Allison B. Rosen & Susan T. Stewart, 2020. "A Satellite Account for Health in the United States," NBER Working Papers 27848, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Gross, Revital & Tabenkin, Hava & Brammli-Greenberg, Shuli, 2007. "Factors affecting primary care physicians' perceptions of health system reform in Israel: Professional autonomy versus organizational affiliation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(7), pages 1450-1462, April.
    6. Wang, Sophie Y. & Cantarelli, Paola & Groene, Oliver & Stargardt, Tom & Belle, Nicola, 2023. "Patient expectations do matter - Experimental evidence on antibiotic prescribing decisions among hospital-based physicians," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 11-17.
    7. Michael R. Kramer & Eric B. Schneider & Jennifer B. Kane & Claire Margerison-Zilko & Jessica Jones-Smith & Katherine King & Pamela Davis-Kean & Joseph G. Grzywacz, 2017. "Getting Under the Skin: Children’s Health Disparities as Embodiment of Social Class," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 36(5), pages 671-697, October.
    8. H. Juliette T. Unwin & Swapnil Mishra & Valerie C. Bradley & Axel Gandy & Thomas A. Mellan & Helen Coupland & Jonathan Ish-Horowicz & Michaela A. C. Vollmer & Charles Whittaker & Sarah L. Filippi & Xi, 2020. "State-level tracking of COVID-19 in the United States," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Greenhalgh, Trisha & Stones, Rob, 2010. "Theorising big IT programmes in healthcare: Strong structuration theory meets actor-network theory," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(9), pages 1285-1294, May.
    10. Assing Hvidt, Elisabeth & Grønning, Anette & Nisbeth Brøgger, Matilde & Møller, Jane Ege & Fage-Butler, Antoinette, 2021. "Multilevel structures and human agency in relation to email consultations: A strong structuration theory analysis of the Danish general practice setting," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    11. Matthew J Page & Joanne E McKenzie & Patrick M Bossuyt & Isabelle Boutron & Tammy C Hoffmann & Cynthia D Mulrow & Larissa Shamseer & Jennifer M Tetzlaff & Elie A Akl & Sue E Brennan & Roger Chou & Jul, 2021. "The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(3), pages 1-15, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Joana Gomes-da-Costa & Sara R. Machado & Nuno Sousa Pereira, 2026. "Association between patient continuity of care and physicians’ hypoglycaemic medication prescription trends," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 1-23, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Miriam Blume & Petra Rattay & Stephanie Hoffmann & Jacob Spallek & Lydia Sander & Raphael Herr & Matthias Richter & Irene Moor & Nico Dragano & Claudia Pischke & Iryna Iashchenko & Claudia Hövener & B, 2021. "Health Inequalities in Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review of the Mediating and Moderating Effects of Family Characteristics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-33, July.
    2. Kerui Pan & Sisi Wang & Xueping Li & Shuoming Wu, 2024. "Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation combined with transhepatic artery embolization chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(9), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Rizkiana Sidqiyatul Hamdani & Sudharto Prawata Hadi & Iwan Rudiarto, 2021. "Progress or Regress? A Systematic Review on Two Decades of Monitoring and Addressing Land Subsidence Hazards in Semarang City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-26, December.
    4. Chen, Ping-Chuan & Hung, Shiu-Wan, 2016. "An actor-network perspective on evaluating the R&D linking efficiency of innovation ecosystems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 303-312.
    5. Boglárka Anna Éliás & Attila Jámbor, 2021. "Food Security and COVID-19: A Systematic Review of the First-Year Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Omoyele, Olalekan & Hoffmann, Maximilian & Koivisto, Matti & Larrañeta, Miguel & Weinand, Jann Michael & Linßen, Jochen & Stolten, Detlef, 2024. "Increasing the resolution of solar and wind time series for energy system modeling: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    7. Steven A. Mejia, 2023. "Global inequities in the prevalence of undernourishment," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 104(3), pages 329-344, May.
    8. Basu, Sayantani & Campbell, Roy H., 2020. "Going by the numbers : Learning and modeling COVID-19 disease dynamics," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    9. Garcia-Herrera, Alisson & Serrano-Hernandez, Adrian & Faulin, Javier, 2025. "Understanding the dynamics of crowdshipping in last-mile distribution within urban mobility: A comprehensive framework," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    10. Cala, Anggie & Maturana-Córdoba, Aymer & Soto-Verjel, Joseph, 2023. "Exploring the pretreatments' influence on pressure reverse osmosis: PRISMA review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    11. Ming Shan & Yu-Shan Li & Bon-Gang Hwang & Jia-En Chua, 2021. "Productivity Metrics and Its Implementations in Construction Projects: A Case Study of Singapore," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, November.
    12. Susca, T. & Zanghirella, F. & Colasuonno, L. & Del Fatto, V., 2022. "Effect of green wall installation on urban heat island and building energy use: A climate-informed systematic literature review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    13. Alexander P. L. Martindale & Carrie D. Llewellyn & Richard O. Visser & Benjamin Ng & Victoria Ngai & Aditya U. Kale & Lavinia Ferrante Ruffano & Robert M. Golub & Gary S. Collins & David Moher & Melis, 2024. "Concordance of randomised controlled trials for artificial intelligence interventions with the CONSORT-AI reporting guidelines," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    14. Gizéh Rangel-de Lázaro & Josep M. Duart, 2023. "You Can Handle, You Can Teach It: Systematic Review on the Use of Extended Reality and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Online Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-23, February.
    15. Jakub Szczepkowski, 2022. "Marketing relacji w pracy brokera innowacji (Relationship Marketing in the Work of an Innovation Broker)," Research Reports, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 2(37), pages 48-56.
    16. Ayla Amamou & Safa Chabouh & Lilia Sidhom & Alaeddine Zouari & Abdelkader Mami, 2025. "Agri-Food Supply Chain Sustainability Indicators from a Multi-Capital Perspective: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-34, May.
    17. Kim, Hyunil & Kim, Yun Young & Song, Eun-Jee & Windsor, Liliane, 2024. "Policies to reduce child poverty and child maltreatment: A scoping review and preliminary estimates of indirect effects," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    18. Kofi Awuviry-Newton & Bernadette Saunders & Nestor Asiamah & Kwamina Abekah-Carter & Daniel Doh, 2025. "Adverse childhood experiences and elder abuse victimization nexus: A systematic review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(2), pages 1-18, February.
    19. Barbu Alexandra, 2025. "Mapping Europe’s Cultural Pulse: A Bibliometric Analysis of Cultural Mega Events, Music Festivals, and the European Capitals of Culture (2000–2025)," Culture. Society. Economy. Politics, Sciendo, vol. 5(2), pages 24-42.
    20. Hautamäki, Sari & Marionneau, Virve & Castrén, Sari & Palomäki, Jussi & Raisamo, Susanna & Lintonen, Tomi & Pörtfors, Pia & Latvala, Tiina, 2025. "Methodologies and estimates of social costs of gambling: A scoping review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 371(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:161:y:2025:i:c:s0168851025001708. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu or the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/healthpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.