Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/47324 
Year of Publication: 
2009
Series/Report no.: 
Memorandum No. 2009,07
Publisher: 
University of Oslo, Department of Economics, Oslo
Abstract: 
Primary care physicians have two roles: the healer and the gatekeeper. We show that, due to information asymmetries, they cannot be expected to fulfill the latter role. Better gatekeepers will be poorer healers; hence all patients, both truly sick and shirkers, will strictly prefer physicians who give priority to healing. The choice between work and sick leave thus lies, essentially, with the patient. Interviews with Norwegian primary care physicians confirm this: Our interviewees report that shorter sick leaves are granted at request, while longer sick leaves are normally granted if the patient still prefer so after discussions with the physician.
Subjects: 
Sicklisting
subjective diagnoses
asymmetric information
focus group interviews
JEL: 
D11
D21
H42
I11
I18
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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