Physician workload and treatment choice: the case of primary care
研究初级医疗中医生在需求波动下如何权衡诊疗时间与其他投入（如化验和转诊），利用以色列HMO数据发现诊断投入难以弥补时间减少的影响。
Abstract Primary care is a notable example of a service industry where capacity‐constrained suppliers face fluctuating demand levels. To meet this challenge, physicians trade off their time with patients with other inputs such as lab tests and referrals. We study this tradeoff using administrative data from a large Israeli HMO where the absence of colleagues generates exogenous variation in physician workload. We motivate and estimate a range of specifications, from a classic exclusion restriction within a linear model to non‐parametric, partially identified models. The results suggest that diagnostic inputs are unlikely to properly compensate for a decline in time spent with patients.