Paper Type
Complete
Abstract
Diagnostic discrepancies, when initial diagnoses differ from those established during treatment, undermine healthcare efficiency, patient outcomes, and costs. Using patient-level data from Florida hospitals, this study examines how such discrepancies affect healthcare delivery efficiency (total charges) and how physicians’ experience influences this relationship. Two types of experience are considered: focal (similar cases) and related (diverse conditions). Results show diagnostic discrepancies raise total charges by 9%. Greater focal experience mitigates these costs, while higher related experience increases them. Robustness checks and instrumental variable analyses confirm these findings, highlighting timely, accurate diagnosis as a key operational factor. To reduce discrepancies, healthcare managers can adopt enhanced physician training, decision aids, and experience-based criteria. Strategically allocating experienced physicians and investing in skill development will improve patient care, optimize resources, and curb unnecessary costs, ultimately fostering more efficient and effective healthcare systems.
Paper Number
1340
Recommended Citation
Youn, Seokjun and Lan, Yingchao, "Mitigating the Price of Diagnostic Discrepancies: A Multi-Experience Lens on Healthcare Delivery Efficiency" (2025). AMCIS 2025 Proceedings. 27.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2025/health_it/sig_health/27
Mitigating the Price of Diagnostic Discrepancies: A Multi-Experience Lens on Healthcare Delivery Efficiency
Diagnostic discrepancies, when initial diagnoses differ from those established during treatment, undermine healthcare efficiency, patient outcomes, and costs. Using patient-level data from Florida hospitals, this study examines how such discrepancies affect healthcare delivery efficiency (total charges) and how physicians’ experience influences this relationship. Two types of experience are considered: focal (similar cases) and related (diverse conditions). Results show diagnostic discrepancies raise total charges by 9%. Greater focal experience mitigates these costs, while higher related experience increases them. Robustness checks and instrumental variable analyses confirm these findings, highlighting timely, accurate diagnosis as a key operational factor. To reduce discrepancies, healthcare managers can adopt enhanced physician training, decision aids, and experience-based criteria. Strategically allocating experienced physicians and investing in skill development will improve patient care, optimize resources, and curb unnecessary costs, ultimately fostering more efficient and effective healthcare systems.
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