Irene Papanicolas
Papers
1
Total Citations
42
H-Index
1
About
Irene Papanicolas is a leading health economist whose research illuminates the drivers of health system performance, spending, and technological adoption across countries. Her work centers on comparing healthcare systems—particularly the United States and England—to understand why costs differ and how policy shapes outcomes. In her highly cited 2021 study, “Patterns of adoption of robotic radical prostatectomy in the United States and England,” she analyzed over a decade of administrative data to reveal stark differences in how rapidly and widely robotic surgery was adopted in the two countries. This work, with 42 citations, exemplifies her broader contribution: using rigorous comparative analysis to expose how financial incentives, market structures, and regulatory environments influence clinical practice and resource use. Papanicolas’s research has been instrumental in showing that the U.S. spends far more on healthcare than other high-income nations without achieving better results—a finding that has shaped policy debates and academic discourse. Her studies are widely cited by health services researchers, policymakers, and clinicians seeking evidence-based insights into system efficiency and equity.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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