Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/55629 
Year of Publication: 
2009
Series/Report no.: 
Working Papers No. 09-5
Publisher: 
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Boston, MA
Abstract: 
Location-specific norms of behavior are a widespread phenomenon. In the case of medical practice, numerous studies have found that geographic location exerts a strong influence on the choice of treatments and procedures. This paper shows how the presence of social influence on treatment decisions can help to explain this phenomenon. We construct a theoretical model in which physicians' treatment choices depend on atients' characteristics and on the recent choices of nearby peerseither because there are local knowledge spillovers or because physicians want to conform to local practice patterns. In our model, regional differences in the patient mix give rise to geographically divergent treatment patternsthe treatment a patient receives depends on where she lives. Investigation of Florida data reveals significant geographic variation in treatment rates consistent with the predictions of our model. Implications for patient welfare are explored.
Subjects: 
geographic variations in medicine
evolutionary game theory
interacting particle systems
social influence
local interactions
medical practice guidelines
JEL: 
C73
Z13
I10
I11
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
363.53 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.