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Socioeconomic status and waiting times for health services: An international literature review and evidence from the Italian National Health System

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  • Landi, Stefano
  • Ivaldi, Enrico
  • Testi, Angela

Abstract

In the absence of priority criteria, waiting times are an implicit rationing instrument where the absence or limited use of prices creates an excess of demand. Even in the presence of priority criteria, waiting times may be unfair because they reduce health care demand of patients in lower socio-economic conditions due to high opportunity costs of time or a decay in their health level. Significant evidence has shown a relationship between socioeconomic status and the length of waiting time.

Suggested Citation

  • Landi, Stefano & Ivaldi, Enrico & Testi, Angela, 2018. "Socioeconomic status and waiting times for health services: An international literature review and evidence from the Italian National Health System," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(4), pages 334-351.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:122:y:2018:i:4:p:334-351
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2018.01.003
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    3. Nicolai Fink Simonsen & Anne Sophie Oxholm & Søren Rud Kristensen & Luigi Siciliani, 2020. "What explains differences in waiting times for health care across socioeconomic status?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(12), pages 1764-1785, December.
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    5. Martin, Steve & Siciliani, Luigi & Smith, Peter, 2020. "Socioeconomic inequalities in waiting times for primary care across ten OECD countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    6. Wen, Jinglin & Santos, Rita & Siciliani, Luigi & Proctor, Andrew, 2024. "Socioeconomic inequalities in hospital access for prostate cancer before and after COVID-19," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
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    9. Joana Cima & Paulo Guimarães & Álvaro Almeida, 2018. "Explaining the gender gap in waiting times for scheduled surgery in the Portuguese National Health Service," FEP Working Papers 607, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    10. Enrico Ivaldi & Paolo Parra Saiani & Juan José Primosich & Carolina Bruzzi, 2020. "Health and Deprivation: A New Approach Applied to 32 Argentinian Urban Areas," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 151(1), pages 155-179, August.
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    14. Turner, Alex J & Francetic, Igor & Watkinson, Ruth & Gillibrand, Stephanie & Sutton, Matt, 2022. "Socioeconomic inequality in access to timely and appropriate care in emergency departments," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
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