How platform endorsements change access to healthcare
Endorsement badges help people find high-quality providers — but they can also reshape who gets access to care.
In this video, Xu Zhang, Assistant Professor of Marketing at London Business School, explains research examining what happens when doctors receive “top doctor” endorsement badges on a large telehealth platform.
Using data from thousands of physicians and over a million consultations, the study shows that endorsed doctors raise prices and reduce free consultations, even as quality stays the same or improves — highlighting how platform design can unintentionally widen inequality.
Endorsement badges help people find high-quality providers — but they can also reshape who gets access to care.
In this video, Xu Zhang, Assistant Professor of Marketing at London Business School, explains research examining what happens when doctors receive “top doctor” endorsement badges on a large telehealth platform.
Using data from thousands of physicians and over a million consultations, the study shows that endorsed doctors raise prices and reduce free consultations, even as quality stays the same or improves — highlighting how platform design can unintentionally widen inequality.