The diffusion of medical information in hospitals, patients and physicians

Adam Eric Block

Medical advancement is caused by the accumulation and dissemination of new scientific information. Patient diagnosis, medical treatment and health outcomes often depend upon the application of information at the hospital, patient and physician levels. This dissertation examines the impact of new clinical information at the hospital level, the impact of advertising information at the patient level and the utilization of quality care practices at the physician level. The first paper examines the impact of the number of surgeries at a hospital on the application of new clinical information to hospital practices. Information acquisition is a fixed cost, but benefits accrue per surgery, therefore research adoption is more likely among hospitals performing more total surgeries. The cases of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and angioplasty during heart attack (PTCA) show that hospitals with more...