nep-cna 2010-12-18 papers

on China

Issue of 2010‒12‒18
two papers chosen by
Zheng Fang
Ohio State University

Patient Knowledge and Antibiotic Abuse: Evidence from an Audit Study in China By Janet Currie; Wanchuan Lin; Wei Zhang
The Contribution of Human Capital to China’s Economic Growth By John Whalley; Xiliang Zhao

Patient Knowledge and Antibiotic Abuse: Evidence from an Audit Study in China

By:	Janet Currie; Wanchuan Lin; Wei Zhang
Abstract:	We ask how patient knowledge of appropriate antibiotic usage affects both physicians prescribing behavior and the physician-patient relationship. We conduct an audit study in which a pair of simulated patients with identical flu-like complaints visits the same physician. Simulated patient A is instructed to ask a question that showcases his/her knowledge of appropriate antibiotic use, whereas patient B is instructed to say nothing beyond describing his/her symptoms. We find that a patient’s knowledge of appropriate antibiotics use reduces both antibiotic prescription rates and drug expenditures. Such knowledge also increases physicians’ information provision about possible side effects, but has a negative impact on the quality of the physician-patient interactions.
JEL:	I11 I12 I18
Date:	2010–12
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:16602&r=cna

The Contribution of Human Capital to China’s Economic Growth

By:	John Whalley; Xiliang Zhao
Abstract:	This paper develops a human capital measure in the sense of Schultz (1960) and then reevaluates the contribution of human capital to China’s economic growth. The results indicate that human capital plays a much more important role in China’s economic growth than available literature suggests, 38.1% of economic growth over 1978-2008, and even higher for 1999-2008. In addition, because human capital formation accelerated following the major educational expansion increases after 1999 (college enrollment in China increased nearly fivefold between 1997 and 2007) while growth rates of GDP are little changed over the period after 1999, total factor productivity increases fall if human capital is used in growth accounting as we suggest. TFP, by our calculations, contributes 16.92% of growth between 1978 and 2008, but this contribution is -7.03% between 1999 and 2008. Negative TFP growth along with the high contribution of physical and human capital to economic growth seem to suggest that there have been decreased in the efficiency of inputs usage in China or worsened misallocation of physical and human capital in recent years. These results underscore the importance of efficient use of human capital, as well as the volume of human capital creation, in China’s growth strategy.
JEL:	O0 O10 O4 O47
Date:	2010–12
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:16592&r=cna

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