Journal of Economic Literature Vol. 64 No. 1 2026

Doctor Decision-Making and Patient Outcomes

Janet Currie¹; W. Bentley MacLeod²; Kate Musen³

¹ Yale University, Princeton University, and NBER. · ² Yale University, Columbia University, and NBER. · ³ Columbia University

Abstract

Doctors often treat similar patients differently, which affects health outcomes and medical spending. We assess the recent literature on doctor decision-making through the lens of a model that incorporates diagnostic and procedural skills, beliefs, incentives, and differences in patient pools. Decision-making is affected by beliefs, training, experience, peer effects, financial incentives, and time constraints. Interventions to improve decision-making include providing information, guidelines, and technologies like electronic medical records and algorithmic decision tools. Economists have made progress in understanding doctor decision-making, but applications of that knowledge to improving health care are still limited.

DOI

10.1257/jel.20251762

Volume

64

Issue

1

Pages

141-194

Language

en

Sources

openalex crossref

Cite

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