Health Delivery Performance

A unique feature of health care markets, recognized by Arrow (1963), is that a physician, the supplier of medical services, is expected to act in the patient’s best interest.

Hospitalization is the standard of care for acute illness, but hospital care is often expensive, unsafe, and uncomfortable (1).

Patients with cancer face a crisis due to an ongoing shortage of essential chemotherapeutic drugs.

The application of psychedelic therapy for a range of mental and physical health issues is emerging as a transformative treatment method but federal policy has not kept pace with the industry’s rapid development. To understand the burgeoning business landscape surrounding this innovative therapy, the Hopkins Business of Health Initiative, in partnership with the Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy, recently convened a panel of national experts to discuss the cutting-edge convergence of psychedelics, business, and policy.  

Professor Nicholson Price, J.D., Ph.D., Professor of Health, University of Michigan Law School

Professor Danton Char, Stanford University School of Medicine; Faculty Affiliate, Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)

HBHI is pleased to announce our five pilot grant awardees for our 2024 cohort.

Why doesn't healthcare in the US improve in quality while becoming more affordable, as we see in other industries? Join us for an enlightening discussion with James (Jim) and Robert (Bob) Rebitzer, authors of "Why Not Better and Cheaper?" We explored the unique challenges of healthcare innovation in the US, discussing why there's a lack of incentives for cost-reducing innovations and the ease of profiting from low-value innovations. The Rebitzers also shared their perspectives on directing healthcare innovation towards more efficient and cost-effective solutions. This is a crucial conversation for anyone interested in the future of American healthcare.

Non-compete agreements typically restrict employees from joining competitors or starting similar businesses within a given timeframe and geographical area after leaving their jobs. These kinds of covenants have become enormously widespread in the American economy, and even more so in the sector of health care. 

Policy makers and insurers promote the use of generic drugs because they can deliver large savings without sacrificing quality. But these efforts meet resistance from the public, who perceive generic drugs as inferior substitutes for brand name counterparts. Building on literature showing that negative emotions reduce risk-taking, the authors hypothesize that receiving bad medical news (i.e., negative information about one’s health) prompts patients to favor brand name over generic drugs as means to safeguard their health. The evidence exploits low-density lipoprotein cholesterol test results, where a discontinuity from clinical guidelines enables the authors to estimate the causal effect of bad medical news.