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Doctor-patient differences in risk and time preferences: A field experiment
Matteo M Galizzi1, Marisa Miraldo2, Charitini Stavropoulou3
1Department of Social Policy, Behavioural Research Lab, LSE Health, London School of Economics, Old 2.35 Old Building, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK; École d'Économie de Paris, Hospinnomics, Paris School of Economics, Hôtel-Dieu, 1, Parvis de Notre-Dame, Bâtiment B1, 5° étage, 75004 Paris, France.
Doctors and patients exhibit distinct time preferences, with physicians valuing future outcomes more than patients. However, risk preferences between these groups appear similar within healthcare decisions.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Behavioral Economics
- Decision Science
Background:
- Understanding patient and physician preferences is crucial for effective healthcare delivery and policy.
- Discrepancies in risk and time preferences can lead to suboptimal treatment choices and health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare risk and time preferences between patients and doctors within a healthcare context.
- To identify potential divergences that may influence medical decision-making.
Main Methods:
- A framed field experiment was conducted involving patients and doctors.
- Multiple price list tests, adapted for healthcare scenarios, were used to elicit preferences.
- Switching points and estimated behavioral parameters were analyzed for comparison.
Main Results:
- Significant differences were observed in time preferences: doctors discount future outcomes less than patients.
- No systematic differences in risk preferences were found between doctors and patients in the healthcare domain.
Conclusions:
- Physicians demonstrate a lower discount rate for future outcomes compared to patients.
- The study suggests that while time preferences diverge, risk preferences may be more aligned between doctors and patients in healthcare settings.
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