Variables that influence consumers' inferences about physician ability and accountability.
Previous research has shown that the quality of interpersonal care provided by physicians is correlated with the initiation of malpractice litigation. Unfortunately, this research has not controlled for the effects of actual treatment quality or of health outcomes. The research on which this article is based experimentally manipulates three variables: (1) patient involvement with treatment decisions, (2) financial incentives by third party payers to encourage costeffective medicine, and (3) use of new treatment practices that have not been widely adopted by other physicians.
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Department of Marketing, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, New Jersey, USA.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010816:Physician Incentive Plans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome