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Market Conditions and General Practitioners’ Referrals

Author

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  • Iversen, Tor

    (Institute of Health Management and Health Economics)

  • Ma, Albert

    (Department of Economics, Boston University, and University of Oslo)

Abstract

We study how market conditions influence referrals of patients by general practitioners (GPs). We set up a model of GP referral for the Norwegian health care system, where a GP receives capitation payment based on the number of patients in his practice, as well as fee-for-service reimbursements. A GP may accept new patients or close the practice to new patients. We model GPs as partially altruistic, and compete for patients. We show that a GP operating in a more competitive market refers more. To retain patients in his practice, a GP satisfies patients’ requests for referrals. Furthermore, a GP who faces patient shortage will refer more often than a GP who has enough patients. More referrals may add to profits from future treatments. Using data of radiology referrals by GPs in Norway, we test and confirm our theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Iversen, Tor & Ma, Albert, 2009. "Market Conditions and General Practitioners’ Referrals," HERO Online Working Paper Series 2009:8, University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:oslohe:2009_008
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    Cited by:

    1. Jeannette Brosig‐Koch & Burkhard Hehenkamp & Johanna Kokot, 2023. "Who benefits from quality competition in health care? A theory and a laboratory experiment on the relevance of patient characteristics," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(8), pages 1785-1817, August.
    2. Brekke, Kurt R. & Holmås, Tor Helge & Monstad, Karin & Straume, Odd Rune, 2019. "Competition and physician behaviour: Does the competitive environment affect the propensity to issue sickness certificates?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 117-135.
    3. Markussen, Simen & Røed, Knut, 2017. "The market for paid sick leave," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 244-261.
    4. Siciliani, Luigi & Chalkley, Martin & Gravelle, Hugh, 2017. "Policies towards hospital and GP competition in five European countries," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(2), pages 103-110.
    5. Drabik, Dusan & de Gorter, Harry & Timilsina, Govinda R., 2016. "Producing biodiesel from soybeans in Zambia: An economic analysis," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 103-109.
    6. Schaumans, C.B.C., 2014. "Prescribing Behavior of General Practitioners : Competition Matters!," Other publications TiSEM 6d0d2ee7-fe03-41c3-89bc-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    7. Tor Iversen & Hilde Lurås, 2012. "Capitation and Incentives in Primary Care," Chapters, in: Andrew M. Jones (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Health Economics, Second Edition, chapter 26, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Marie Allard & Izabela Jelovac & Pierre-Thomas Léger, 2014. "Payment mechanism and GP self-selection: capitation versus fee for service," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 143-160, June.
    9. Godager, Geir & Iversen, Tor & Ma, Ching-to Albert, 2015. "Competition, gatekeeping, and health care access," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 159-170.
    10. Jens Dietrichson & Lina Maria Ellegård & Gustav Kjellsson, 2020. "Patient choice, entry, and the quality of primary care: Evidence from Swedish reforms," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(6), pages 716-730, June.
    11. Jeannette Brosig‐Koch & Burkhard Hehenkamp & Johanna Kokot, 2017. "The effects of competition on medical service provision," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(S3), pages 6-20, December.
    12. Schaumans, Catherine, 2015. "Prescribing behavior of General Practitioners: Competition matters," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(4), pages 456-463.
    13. Sisira Sarma & Nirav Mehta & Rose Anne Devlin & Koffi Ahoto Kpelitse & Lihua Li, 2018. "Family physician remuneration schemes and specialist referrals: Quasi‐experimental evidence from Ontario, Canada," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(10), pages 1533-1549, October.
    14. Vengberg, Sofie & Fredriksson, Mio & Winblad, Ulrika, 2019. "Patient choice and provider competition – Quality enhancing drivers in primary care?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 217-224.
    15. Brekke, Kurt R. & Holmås, Tor Helge & Monstad, Karin & Straume, Odd Rune, 2017. "Competition and physician behaviour: Does the competitive environment the propensity to issue sickness certificates?," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 3/2017, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    16. Tor Iversen & Anastasia Mokienko, 2016. "Supplementing gatekeeping with a revenue scheme for secondary care providers," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 247-267, September.
    17. Waibel, Christian & Wiesen, Daniel, 2021. "An experiment on referrals in health care," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    18. Brekke, Kurt R. & Straume, Odd Rune, 2017. "Competition policy for health care provision in Norway," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(2), pages 134-140.
    19. Schaumans, C.B.C., 2014. "Prescribing Behavior of General Practitioners : Competition Matters!," Other publications TiSEM c8445d1f-66f8-4238-835e-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Physician; service motive; profit motive; referral; radiology;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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