Seeking better health care outcomes: the ethics of using the "nudge".
Policymakers, employers, insurance companies, researchers, and health care providers have developed an increasing interest in using principles from behavioral economics and psychology to persuade people to change their health-related behaviors, lifestyles, and habits. In this article, we examine how principles from behavioral economics and psychology are being used to nudge people (the public, patients, or health care providers) toward particular decisions or behaviors related to health or health care, and we identify the ethically relevant dimensions that should be considered for the utilization of each principle.
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. jsswinde@bcm.edu
J S
JS
Blumenthal-Barby
Hadley
H
Burroughs
D000339:Affect; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000941:ethics*; D003463:Cues; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D060909:Economics, Behavioral; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D015438:Health Behavior; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D011050:Policy Making; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology