Heuristic thinking in the workplace: Evidence from primary care
研究初级保健医生是否对患者年龄存在左数字偏差，发现在信息清晰时无此偏差，但在面对不熟悉的紧急患者时，医生更可能在整十岁生日后使用基本诊断测试。
We study whether primary care physicians (PCPs) exercise left digit bias with respect to patients' age. Relying on a comprehensive administrative visit level data from a large Israeli HMO, we measure the intensity of patients' medical examination in visits that take place around a decadal birthday-a birthday that ends with zero-within a regression discontinuity framework. We find that in standard settings with clear patient information there is no evidence that PCPs exhibit left digit bias. However, when PCPs meet unfamiliar patients seeking immediate care, they are more likely to use basic diagnostic tests just above the decadal birthday threshold, indicating that under these circumstances, PCPs do use left digit bias.