Escarce J J
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
J Health Econ. 1996 Dec;15(6):715-34. doi: 10.1016/s0167-6296(96)00501-2.
Much recent work on the economics of new technology adoption has investigated the roles of information and externalities. However, studies of technology adoption by physicians have not addressed these issues. This paper examines the adoption by general surgeons of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a new surgical procedure which was introduced in 1989. The paper addresses the informational and cost externalities which may be generated when the first surgeon in a hospital adopts a new procedure. The findings suggest that access to information about laparoscopic cholecystectomy influenced surgeons' adoption behavior, and that externalities in hospitals may have hastened the diffusion of the procedure.
近期许多关于新技术采用的经济学研究都探讨了信息和外部性的作用。然而，针对医生采用技术的研究尚未涉及这些问题。本文考察了普通外科医生对腹腔镜胆囊切除术的采用情况，这是一种于1989年引入的新外科手术。本文探讨了医院首位外科医生采用新手术时可能产生的信息和成本外部性。研究结果表明，获取有关腹腔镜胆囊切除术的信息影响了外科医生的采用行为，而且医院中的外部性可能加速了该手术的传播。
