Waiting time and doctor shopping in a mixed medical economy
研究香港医疗体系中，患者对时间的重视程度与医生选择行为的关系，发现等待时间越长、患者越可能转向私立医疗。
Waiting time generally acts as a rationing mechanism in the public health care system. In theory, patients who have a higher valuation of time are more likely to seek alternative care (i.e. doctor shopping) if there is a parallel private sector than those who have weaker time preference. However, the existing settings of many health care systems do not allow patients to reveal their preference of such. The data presented in this study suggest a positive association between patients' expressed value of time and doctor shopping behaviour in Hong Kong. Patients who were assigned longer waiting times relative to their expected horizon were more likely to seek private alternative care.