We investigate the marginal value of information in the context of health signals that people receive after checkups. Although underlying health status is similar for individuals just below and above a clinical threshold, treatments differ according to the checkup signals they receive. For the general population, whereas health warnings about diabetes increase healthcare utilization, health outcomes do not improve. However, among high-risk individuals, outcomes do improve, and improved health is worth its cost. These results indicate that the marginal value of health information depends on setting appropriate thresholds for health warnings and targeting individuals most likely to benefit from follow-up medical care.

我们在人们检查后收到的健康信号的背景下调查信息的边际价值。尽管对于刚好低于或高于临床阈值的个体，其基本健康状况是相似的，但治疗方法因他们收到的检查信号而异。对于一般人群，关于糖尿病的健康警告会增加医疗保健的利用率，但健康结果却没有改善。但是，在高危人群中，结局确实得到改善，而改善健康状况值得付出代价。这些结果表明，健康信息的边际价值取决于为健康警告设置适当的阈值，并针对最有可能从后续医疗服务中受益的个人。