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Do physicians employ aides efficiently?: Some new evidence on solo practitioners

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  • James Thornton

Abstract

This paper investigates the issue of efficient employment of aides in the production of medical care services by self-employed solo practice physicians. Several alternative specifications of the production function for physician services are estimated. The parameter estimates obtained are then used to draw inferences about medical care delivery technology and allocation efficiency. The findings suggest that solo practice physicians overemploy aides and in so doing neither maximize medical practice profit nor minimize the cost of delivering medical care services. Copyright Springer 1998

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  • James Thornton, 1998. "Do physicians employ aides efficiently?: Some new evidence on solo practitioners," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 22(2), pages 85-96, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jecfin:v:22:y:1998:i:2:p:85-96
    DOI: 10.1007/BF02771479
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Robert Rosenman & Daniel Friesner, 2004. "Scope and scale inefficiencies in physician practices," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(11), pages 1091-1116, November.
    2. Bao Hoang Nguyen & Valentin Zelenyuk, 2021. "Aggregate efficiency of industry and its groups: the case of Queensland public hospitals," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(6), pages 2795-2836, June.
    3. Gregory Dobson & Edieal Pinker & R. Lawrence Van Horn, 2009. "Division of Labor in Medical Office Practices," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 11(3), pages 525-537, May.

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