DAISI Seminar - Giulia Cappellaro

“Algorithm aversion in professional decision-making: a multi-level analysis of the determinants of physician-AI interaction" (with Luigi Preti, Amelia Compagni, Bart Vanneste)

SPEAKER: Giulia Cappellaro (Bocconi University)

ABSTRACT:

AI-based algorithms are increasingly integrated into clinical decision-making, yet the conditions under which physicians adopt these recommendations remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on research into algorithm aversion and appreciation, this study examines how the type of clinical decision and physicians’ characteristics influence the acceptance of AI-generated recommendations. The analysis centers on a CE-marked supervised learning algorithm designed to optimize pharmaceutical prescriptions for regulating hemoglobin levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Using a Bayesian multilevel logistic model, we analyze a unique dataset comprising real-world treatment decisions by nephrologists from 2013 to 2024, encompassing 584,431 observations across eight European countries and more than 120 healthcare organizations. Preliminary findings suggest that physicians are more likely to accept AI recommendations when they align with well-established clinical guidelines, while recommendations involving more nuanced decisions encounter greater resistance. The study further explores how professional experience and familiarity with the algorithm influence decision-making, offering insights into the factors shaping physicians’ reliance on AI in clinical settings.

BIO:

Giulia Cappellaro is Associate Professor of Management in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at Bocconi University, faculty affiliate at Cergas SDA Bocconi and at Dondena. Her research examines collaboration and change in sectors of public interest by analyzing governance, technological, and professional mechanisms that enable coordinated action to address societal challenges.

Luigi Preti is Lecturer in Healthcare Management at SDA Bocconi. He is a faculty member of the GHNP Division and affiliate researcher at Cergas. His research focuses on healthcare management and policy and has co-authored articles in national and international journals and several chapters of the annual OASI Report. 

You may follow the seminar at this link.