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Providers, Peers and Patients: How do Physicians’ Practice Environments Affect Patient Outcomes?

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  • Avdic, Daniel
  • Ivets, Maryna
  • Lagerqvist, Bo
  • Sriubaite, Ieva

Abstract

We study the extent to which physician treatment styles are determined by their practice environment and whether such decisions affect the quality of care received by patients. Using rich data on all coronary angioplasty procedures in Sweden 2004–2013, our empirical approach compares stent choices of interventional cardiologists moving across hospitals to patient outcomes over time. To disentangle changes in practice styles attributable to physical (provider) and social (peer group) factors, we exploit quasi‐random variation on physicians working on the same day in the same hospital. Our findings suggest that (i) moving cardiologists’ stent choices rapidly adapt to their new practice environment after relocation; (ii) practice style changes are equally driven by the physical and social environments; and (iii) rates of decision errors, treatment costs and adverse clinical events among treated patients remain largely unchanged despite the altered practice styles.

Suggested Citation

  • Avdic, Daniel & Ivets, Maryna & Lagerqvist, Bo & Sriubaite, Ieva, 2021. "Providers, Peers and Patients: How do Physicians’ Practice Environments Affect Patient Outcomes?," CINCH Working Paper Series (since 2020) 74000, Duisburg-Essen University Library, DuEPublico.
  • Handle: RePEc:ajt:wcinch:74000
    DOI: 10.17185/duepublico/74000
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    1. Fischer, Martin & Karlsson, Martin & Prodromidis, Nikolaos, 2021. "Long‐term Effects of Hospital Deliveries," CINCH Working Paper Series (since 2020) 74712, Duisburg-Essen University Library, DuEPublico.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Practice Style; Environment; Peers; Quality of Care;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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