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An App Call a Day Keeps the Patient Away? Substitution of Online and In-Person Doctor Consultations Among Young Adults

Ellegård, Lina Maria LU ; Kjellsson, Gustav and Mattisson, Linn LU (2021) In Working Papers in Economics
Abstract (Swedish)
The emergence of markets for online physician consultations -- direct-to-consumers telemedicine (DCT) -- is transforming healthcare services in many nations. The convenience of DCT lowers the cost of seeking care, thus potentially increasing demand. Yet, it is not known whether patients consuming online care turn to traditional providers as well. This is one of the first studies to causally assess to which degree online physician consultations substitute for in-person consultations. We exploit the rapid emergence of a DCT market and exogenous changes in patient fees in a fuzzy difference-in-discontinuities analysis of young adults in two Swedish regions. We find evidence in support of partial substitution and an increase in total physician... (More)
The emergence of markets for online physician consultations -- direct-to-consumers telemedicine (DCT) -- is transforming healthcare services in many nations. The convenience of DCT lowers the cost of seeking care, thus potentially increasing demand. Yet, it is not known whether patients consuming online care turn to traditional providers as well. This is one of the first studies to causally assess to which degree online physician consultations substitute for in-person consultations. We exploit the rapid emergence of a DCT market and exogenous changes in patient fees in a fuzzy difference-in-discontinuities analysis of young adults in two Swedish regions. We find evidence in support of partial substitution and an increase in total physician consultations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
telemedicine, primary health care, co-payments, regression discontinuity design, I11, I12, I18
in
Working Papers in Economics
issue
808
pages
97 pages
publisher
Department of Economics, Göteborg University
project
Public Management Research
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
16150fe9-db9b-4dba-bed3-023e78cc4477
alternative location
https://swopec.hhs.se/gunwpe/abs/gunwpe0808.htm
date added to LUP
2021-06-14 09:25:13
date last changed
2021-06-14 10:33:58
@misc{16150fe9-db9b-4dba-bed3-023e78cc4477,
  abstract     = {{The emergence of markets for online physician consultations -- direct-to-consumers telemedicine (DCT) -- is transforming healthcare services in many nations. The convenience of DCT lowers the cost of seeking care, thus potentially increasing demand. Yet, it is not known whether patients consuming online care turn to traditional providers as well. This is one of the first studies to causally assess to which degree online physician consultations substitute for in-person consultations. We exploit the rapid emergence of a DCT market and exogenous changes in patient fees in a fuzzy difference-in-discontinuities analysis of young adults in two Swedish regions. We find evidence in support of partial substitution and an increase in total physician consultations.}},
  author       = {{Ellegård, Lina Maria and Kjellsson, Gustav and Mattisson, Linn}},
  keywords     = {{telemedicine; primary health care; co-payments; regression discontinuity design; I11; I12; I18}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{808}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Economics, Göteborg University}},
  series       = {{Working Papers in Economics}},
  title        = {{An App Call a Day Keeps the Patient Away? Substitution of Online and In-Person Doctor Consultations Among Young Adults}},
  url          = {{https://swopec.hhs.se/gunwpe/abs/gunwpe0808.htm}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}