Laurence Baker

Administrative Appointments

• Director of the Scholarly Concentration Program, Stanford University (2007 - present)
• Chief of Health Services Research, Department of Health Research and Policy (2001 - present)
• Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research (2002 - present)
• Fellow, Stanford Center for Health Policy (2000 - present)

Honors and Awards

• ASHE Medal, American Society of Health Economists (2008)
• Alice S. Hersh Young Investigator Award, Academy for Health Services Research and Health Policy (2000)
• NIHCM Research Award, National Institute for Health Care Management (1999)

Professional Education

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Health Services Research

Industry Relationships

Stanford is committed to ethical and transparent interactions with our industry partners. It is our policy to disclose payments of $5,000 or more, equity valued at $5,000 or more in a publicly traded company, or any equity in a privately held company, to physicians and scientists employed by Stanford University from companies or other commercial entities with which they interact as part of their professional activities. View Full Information

Research Interests

Much of my current research examines the impacts of changing financial incentives, regulations, and organizational structures on health care provision and costs. One aspect of work in this area involves studying impacts of managed care and related insurance arrangements on things like health care costs, the pricing of physician services, prices for health insurance, and the availability and utilization of medical technologies. Other work examines factors influencing the adoption and use of medical technologies more generally, including particular work on imaging equipment. I am also interested in a range of other questions about health care systems, physicians organizations, provider compensation, health care cost growth, and health care quality.

Publications

• Health care cost growth among the privately insured. Bundorf MK, Royalty A, Baker LC. Health Aff (Millwood). 2009 Sep-Oct; 28 (5): 1294-304
• Magnetic resonance imaging and low back pain care for medicare patients. Baras JD, Baker LC. Health Aff (Millwood). 2009 Nov-Dec; 28 (6): w1133-40
• Patient safety climate in 92 US hospitals: differences by work area and discipline. Singer SJ, Gaba DM, Falwell A, Lin S, Hayes J, Baker L. Med Care. 2009; 47 (1): 23-31
• Expanded use of imaging technology and the challenge of measuring value. Baker LC, Atlas SW, Afendulis CC. Health Aff (Millwood). 2008 Nov-Dec; 27 (6): 1467-78
• Variations in hospital resource use for Medicare and privately insured populations in California. Baker LC, Fisher ES, Wennberg JE. Health Aff (Millwood). 2008 Mar-Apr; 27 (2): w123-34