Behavioral Economics Interventions to Improve Medical Decision-Making.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In medicine, a wide gap exists between the medical care that ought to be possible in the light of the current state of medical research and the care that is actually provided. Behavioral biases and noise are two major reasons for this. METHODS: We present the findings of a selective literature review and illustrate how interventions based on behavioral economics can help physicians make better decisions and thereby improve treatment outcomes. RESULTS: A number of behavioral economics interventions, making use of, for example, default settings, active decision rules, social norms, and self-commitments, may improve physicians' clinical decision-making. Evidence on long-term effects is, however, mostly lacking. CONCLUSION: Despite their apparent potential, the application of behavioral economic interventions to improve medical decisionmaking is still in its infancy, particularly in Germany.