Health Affairs

Health Affairs, 28, no. 3 (2009): 864-873 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.28.3.864 © 2009 by Project HOPE	New Online   July Issue on Reform   Obama Appoints CMS Head   Same Sex, Unequal Access   Patient Bill of Rights   Policy Brief: Medicare 'Doc Fix'

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How Much Do Patients’ Preferences Contribute To Resource Use?

Denise L. Anthony, M. Brooke Herndon, Patricia M. Gallagher, Amber E. Barnato, Julie P.W. Bynum, Daniel J. Gottlieb, Elliott S. Fisher and Jonathan S. Skinner

Regional variation in health care use may stem, in part, from the fact that patients in high-utilization regions demand and receive more-intensive care. We examine the association between patients’ care-seeking preferences and use of services, using a national survey of Medicare patients. Patients’ preferences, in addition to health and sociodemographic characteristics, are associated with differences in individuals’ use of office visits. However, we find that patients’ preferences for seeking primary and specialty medical care do not play a significant role in explaining regional variation in health care use.

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