The most cost-effective way to find the best cosmetic doctor, a mathematical proof

• 발행기관: 대한미용의학회
• 저자명: Cheuk Hung Lee Kar Wai Alvin Lee Kwin Wah Lisa Chan
• 간행물 정보: 『Journal of Cosmetic Medicine』Vol.9, No.1, 22~28쪽, 전체 7쪽
• 주제분류: 의약학 > 기타의약학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2025.06.30

국문 초록

Background: In the pursuit of optimal healthcare, patients often face significant challenges in selecting suitable cosmetic physicians, leading to a phenomenon known as “doctor shopping.” This process is associated with considerable financial, temporal, and emotional costs. Objective: Given the importance of informed decision-making in enhancing healthcare quality, our study introduces a mathematical model grounded in optimal stopping theory to streamline the choice of cosmetic doctors or any healthcare providers. Methods: We induce a mathematical model derives from the formulation we described in the section mathematical model and result, where we can derive from the given condition that there existed the maximum probability of finding the best cosmetic doctor. Results: The best choice is to reject the first 36.8% of available visited cosmetic doctors and chooses the first candidate who surpasses all previously consulted candidates. Conclusion: The mathematical model and optimal stopping strategy present a groundbreaking approach to the long-standing problem of doctor shopping. By equipping patients with a systematic methodology for selecting healthcare providers, this model acknowledges the complexities involved in healthcare decision-making while offering a pathway to more informed and effective choices. Furthermore, we also believe that this method also applicable to find best doctor in other specialties suitable to that particular patient instead of finding his/her best cosmetic doctor only.

목차

Introduction

Materials and methods

Results

Discussion

Funding

Conflicts of interest

References

키워드

cost-effectiveness analysis decision making health personnel mathematics problem solving statistics