Time to retire? A register-based study of GPs' practice style prior to retirement. (July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: O'Halloran, Jamie; Oxholm, Anne Sophie; Pedersen, Line Bjørnskov; Gyrd-Hansen, Dorte
• Is Part Of: Social science & medicine. Volume 281(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-07
• Subjects: Retirement -- Access to healthcare -- Primary care -- Practice style -- Denmark; JEL -- J26 -- I11; Social medicine -- Periodicals; Medical anthropology -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine sociale -- Périodiques; Anthropologie médicale -- Périodiques; Santé publique -- Périodiques; Psychologie -- Périodiques; Médecine -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 362.105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114099
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0277-9536

Abstract

Abstract: In many healthcare systems a large share of general practitioners (GPs) is retiring. The literature has shown a negative correlation between physicians' age and their quality of care. However, little is known about whether GPs exhibit different practice styles in the years prior to retirement. This study investigates whether GPs who are closer to retirement make different professional choices than GPs who are not as close to retirement. Using detailed administrative data on 555 Danish GPs and their patients from 2005 to 2017, we study GPs' practice styles across a ten-year period prior to retirement and compare these with GPs who retire at a later date ('non-retiring GPs'), while controlling for age differences as well as exogenous factors affecting healthcare provision. We focus on the GPs' number of enlisted patients, revenue, provision of consultations, and treatment behaviour in consultations. We find no differences between retiring and non-retiring GPs for key outcomes such as 'revenue per patient' and 'consultations per patient'. However, we find that retiring GPs have fewer enlisted patients in their final years of practicing. This finding is driven by more patients leaving rather than fewer patients joining their lists. We also find that retirement is associated with other dimensions of GPs' practice style, e.g. their provision of home visits, prescribing, and referral rates. Overall, we find a modest association between GPs' retirement and their practice style. Highlights: We investigate whether retiring GPs' practice style differs from other GPs. We use rich administrative data for a balanced panel of GPs over a ten-year period. Overall, we find a modest association between retirement and GPs' practice style. Retiring GPs have fewer enlisted patients in their final years of practicing. They also differ in their provision of home visits, prescriptions, and referrals.