Information Greenhouse: Optimal Persuasion for Medical Test-Avoiders

TL;DR

This paper explores optimal communication strategies for doctors to persuade patients to undergo medical tests by balancing warning and reassurance, using information design to address patient test-avoidance.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of an 'information greenhouse' as a novel method for managing patient beliefs and improving testing acceptance.

Findings

Optimal policies depend on whether warning or reassurance is more effective.

Doctors can use pre-test reassurance or post-test information environments.

Reassurance may be moved before testing to increase patient acceptance.

Abstract

Patients often avoid medical tests because testing produces not only useful information but also painful beliefs. This paper studies optimal communication between a doctor and an information-avoidant patient who first decides whether to take a test and, after an unfavorable result, whether to accept treatment. The doctor can disclose information about how severe non-treatment would be if the patient is sick. The main tension is between warning and reassurance. A warning can make treatment compelling after diagnosis, but reassurance can make testing acceptable by preserving hope about the untreated prospect. I characterize the optimal policy. When the warning that supports treatment is compatible with testing, the doctor uses warning-in-advance. When such warning would deter testing, the doctor constructs an information greenhouse: a committed post-test information environment that reassures the patient about the untreated prospect. With voluntary consultation, reassurance must sometimes be moved before the test as precautionary comfort.