The Effect of Activity-Based Payment on Dentists’ Activity: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in the UK National Health Service

The extent to which remuneration systems affect the behaviour of health care professionals is of considerable importance in the administration of publicly funded heath care systems. Using data across two jurisdictions in the United Kingdom, in only one of which remuneration was changed, we compare the extent of measured dental activity at the dentist level in order to ascertain the impact of moving to activity-based remuneration. We find that there are large and statistically significant increases in activity as dentists moved to the activity-based system and that a dentist’s previous form of contract is an important determinant of the magnitude of the effect. We also explore the extent to which dentists’ professional attitudes can explain differences in their activity and find that some aspects of self-reported attitudes are associated with observable differences in activity.

The Prospects for Activity in the UKCS to 2035: the 2008 Perspective

NORTH SEA STUDY OCCASIONAL PAPER No. 109

The Budget 2009 Tax Proposals and Activity in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS)

NORTH SEA STUDY OCCASIONAL PAPER No. 113

The Effects of Budget 2011 on Activity in the UK Continental Shelf

NORTH SEA STUDY OCCASIONAL PAPER No. 120

Prospective Decommissioning Activity and Infrastructure Availability in the UKCS

NORTH SEA STUDY OCCASIONAL PAPER No. 122

The Long Term Prospects for Activity in the UK Continental Shelf

NORTH SEA STUDY OCCASIONAL PAPER No. 119

The Prospects for Activity in the UK Continental Shelf to 2040: the 2009 Perspective

NORTH SEA STUDY OCCASIONAL PAPER No. 114

The Effects of the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) on Activity in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) and CO2 Leakage

NORTH SEA STUDY OCCASIONAL PAPER No. 115