Doing More with Less: Predicting Primary Care Provider Effectiveness

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Currie, Janet; Zhang, Jonathan
• 署名单位: Princeton University; Duke University; US Department of Veterans Affairs; Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6535
• DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01290
• 发表日期: 2025-03
• 页码: 289-305
• 关键词: health-care; regional-variations; outcomes; returns; BIAS

摘要

We use data from the Veterans Administration to examine the efficacy of primary care providers (PCPs). Leveraging quasi-random assignment of veterans to PCPs, we measure effectiveness using ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) and hospitalizations/emergency department (ED) visits for mental health or circulatory conditions. PCPs' variation along these dimensions predicts future outcomes. For example, a 1 standard deviation improvement in mental health effectiveness reduces patient risk of death by 3.8% and lowers costs by 4.4% over the next three years. More effective PCPs do more with less: their patients have fewer primary care visits, specialist referrals, lab panels, or imaging tests.