Jonathan S. Skinner Ph.D.
John Sloan Dickey Third Century Professor of Economics
Department of Economics
Dartmouth College
Email: jonathan.s.skinner@dartmouth.edu
Discipline: Economics
Expertise: Technology, Disparities, Health Economics, Quality of Care
Investigator Award 
Productivity and Technology Diffusion in Health CareAward Year: 2005 As U.S. health care spending continues to escalate, there is a vigorous debate about whether that extra cash is purchasing better health. Some feel the increased spending is driven by innovations in medical technology that significantly improve outcomes. Others believe health care costs are rising because money is being wasted on unnecessary treatment. Jonathan S. Skinner, Ph.D., believes that the relationship of cost to quality of care depends on where one lives and on who provides the care. He sees productivity and availability of technology as varying dramatically among different regions and providers. Dr. Skinner's project, Productivity and Technology Diffusion in Health Care, analyzes the treatment of heart attack patients since 1986, the use of cardiac stents, how variations in technology lead to health care disparities, and the link between technological progress and health care costs. Dr. Skinner's work should offer revealing insights into how medical technology is distributed through the health system and the effects on expenditures and health outcomes.
Background 
Jonathan Skinner is the John Sloan Dickey Third Century Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College and a professor in the department of community and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, where he works in the Center for Evaluative Clinical Sciences. He is also a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in Cambridge, MA and the editor of the Journal of Human Resources. Professor Skinner was elected to the Insitute of Medicine in 2007. He was a recipient of the first TIAA/CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award of Excellence in 1996. Prior to moving to Dartmouth, he was a professor of economics at the University of Virginia. His research interests include the economics of government transfer programs, technology growth in health care, savings behavior of aging baby boomers, and the efficiency and equity of the U.S. Medicare program. Professor Skinner graduated from the University of Rochester (B.A.) and UCLA (Ph.D.).
- Skinner, J.S. Withholds to Slow Medicare Spending. JAMA, Jan 4 2012, 307(1): 43-44.
- Miller, D., Gust, C., Dimick, J., Birkmeyer, N., Skinner, J., Birkmeyer, J. Large Variations in Medicare Payments for Surgery Highlight Savings Potential from Bundled Payment Programs. Health Affairs, Nov 2011, 30(11): 2107-2115.
- Skinner, J.A., Weinstein, M.C. Comparative Effectiveness and Health Care Spending - Implications for Reform. NEJM, 2010, 362(5): 460-5.
- Skinner, J., Staiger, D., Fisher, E. Perspective: Looking Back, Moving Forward. NEJM, 2010, 362(7): 569-74.
- Song, Y., Skinner, J., Bynum, J., Sutherland, J., Wennberg, J.E., Fisher, E.S. Regional Variations in Diagnostic Practices. NEJM, 2010, 363(1): 45-53.
- Fisher, E.S., Bynum, J.P., Skinner, J. Slowing the Growth of Health Care Costs - Lessons from Regional Variation. NEJM, 2009, 360(9): 849-52.
- Drake, R.E., Skinner, J.S., Bond, G.R., Goldman, H.H. Social Security and Mental Illness: Reducing Disability with Supported Employment. Health Affairs, May / June 2009, 28(3): 761-70.
- Skinner, J., Staiger, D. Technology Diffusion and Productivity Growth in Health Care. NBER Working Paper, Apr 2009, No. 14865.
- Arrow, K., Auerbach, A., Bertko, J., Brownlee, S., Casalino, L., Cooper, J., Crosson, F.J., Enthoven, A., Falcone, E., Feldman, R.C., Fuchs, V.R., Garber, A.J., Gold, M.R., Goldman, D., Hadfield, G.K., Hall, M.A., Horwitz, R.I., Hooven, M., Jacobson, P.D.
- Garber, A.M., Skinner, J. Is American Health Care Uniquely Inefficient?. J of Economic Perspectives, 2008, 22(4): 27-50.
- Malenka, D.J., Kaplan, A.V., Lucas, F.L., Sharp, S.M., Skinner, J.S. Outcomes Following Coronary Stenting in the Era of Bare-Metal vs the Era of Drug-Eluting Stents. JAMA, 2008, 299(24): 2868-76.
- Drake, R., Skinner, J., Goldman, H. What Explains the Diffusion of Treatments for Mental Illness? American Journal of Psychiatry, Nov 2008, 165(11): 1385-92.
- Barnato, A., Herndon, M.B., Anthony, D., Gallagher, P., Skinner, J., Bynaum, J., Fisher, E. Are Regional Variations in End-of-Life Care Intensity Explained by Patient Preferences. Medical Care, 2007, 45(5): 386-93.
- Skinner, J. Are You Sure You're Saving Enough for Retirement? J of Economic Perspectives, 2007, 21: 3.
- Weinstein, J., Lurie, J., Tosteson, T., Skinner, J., Hanscom, B., Tosteson, A., Herkowitz, H., Fischgrund, J., Cammisa, F., Albert, T., Deyo, R. Surgical v. Non-Operative Treatment for Lumbar Disc Herniation: The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SP
- Weinstein, J., Tosteson, T., Lurie, J., Tosteson, A., Hanscom, B., Skinner, J., Abdu, W., Hilibrand, A., Boden, S., Deyo, R. Surgical v. Nonoperative Treatment for Lumbar Disk Herniation: The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT): A Randomized Tr
- Skinner, J., Zhou, W., Weinstein, J. The Influence of Income and Race on Total Knee Arthroplasty in the United States. J of Bone and Joint Surgery American Volume, 2006, 88(10): 2159-66.