Healthcare Variation and Physician Agency
In this module, we study how physicians make treatment decisions in environments characterized by asymmetric information, discretion, and multiple, sometimes conflicting objectives. We begin by introducing physician agency as a central organizing framework for understanding medical decision-making, and then examine how both financial and non-financial incentives shape physician behavior. We conclude by moving beyond the individual physician to consider how treatment decisions are influenced by organizational structure and team-based care, highlighting how agency operates within groups, hospitals, and integrated delivery systems. Here’s a long list of papers that I think are particularly relevant in this area.