title: Are doctors risk takers?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Risk taking affects human behavior in general and decisions in medicine in particular. We used game theory to assess physicians' risk-taking tendencies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physicians were recruited to the study by advertisement. It was explained that they would receive a sum of money for correct prediction of the flipping of a coin. They could try to sell their opportunity to flip the coin for an amount of money they determined. The sum offered by the participants was considered an indicator of risk taking. A demographic questionnaire assessed age, sex, seniority, and area of specialization of the participants. A multivariate analysis assessed associations between risk-taking behavior and, seniority, and specialization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-two physicians participated, 36 males and 26 females, seniority 1-34 years. Of a possible range of 0-10, the mean score for risk taking was 5.5 - just slightly more than indifference. Negative correlations were found between risk taking and seniority, and between risk taking and age (β =-0.45, P<0.001 for both). Surgeons and anesthesiologists showed greater risk taking than did other physicians (β =0.69, P<0.05); and females less than males, though the latter correlation was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding the tendency of physicians to risk taking may elucidate their decision-making processes and contribute to understanding of causes of adverse events and to the education of physicians.
authors.affiliation: Risk Management and Patient Safety Unit, Assuta Medical Center, Ramat Hahayal, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Dvora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pikkel
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael Sara
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Pikkel Igal
authors.affiliation: Research Wing, Ziv Medical Center, Safed, Israel; Tel-Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, Israel.
authors.forename: Adi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharabi-Nov
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Ziv Medical Center, Safed, Israel.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pikkel
keywords: anesthesiologists; game theory; risk taking; seniority; surgeons