Evolution of studies on Real Options Theory in health sector

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify the evolution of studies of real options theory in the health sector. For that, the present paper presents a study, which aims to analyze the studies published on the main scientific bases. Methodology/approach  – A bibliometric study was developed. Articles published in: Plubmed, Wiley Online Library, Sage, Web of Science, Science Direct, Springer Link and Emerald Insight were analyzed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics Originality / Relevance: The originality and relevance is to present an analysis on the evolution of the studies of the theory of real options in the health sector already published. Main Results: The main conclusion is that the application of ROT in the health sector is not only in the evaluation of investment, but also has been observed its applicability in medical decision making. In addition, we note that the first study on real options theory in the health sector was conducted eleven years after the start of studies on real options theory. Moreover, the option to defer is the most applied in the health sector. Theoretical Contributions: This study contributes to scientific research in Applied Social Sciences by presenting an evaluation of the evolution of studies in the health sector.