Ya‐Chen Tina Shih
University of Chicago, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Papers
6
Total Citations
192
H-Index
6
About
Ya-Chen Tina Shih is a leading health economist and outcomes researcher whose work sits at the intersection of cancer care, surgical innovation, and health policy. Her key research areas include the comparative effectiveness of robotic versus open surgery, the economics of technology adoption in hospitals, and population-based determinants of surgical quality. Shih’s most influential work, a 2014 study on comparative effectiveness of robot-assisted versus open radical prostatectomy for cancer control, has garnered 115 citations, establishing her as a pivotal voice in the debate over robotic surgery’s value. She has also examined factors driving hospital decisions to purchase costly robotic systems (19 citations) and analyzed whether these systems improve hospital profit margins. Beyond clinical outcomes, Shih investigates how new technologies reshape treatment patterns, as seen in her work on therapeutic substitutions for localized prostate cancer. Her research provides critical evidence for surgeons, hospital administrators, and policymakers navigating the diffusion of expensive surgical innovations. By combining rigorous population-based data with health economic frameworks, Shih’s work helps clarify the real-world trade-offs between technological promise, patient outcomes, and financial sustainability—a vital contribution to evidence-based healthcare decision-making.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 2Population‐based determinants of radical prostatectomy operative time29 citations · 2013
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