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Measurement of inequity in health care with heterogeneous response of use to need

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  • Van de Poel, Ellen
  • Van Doorslaer, Eddy
  • O’Donnell, Owen

Abstract

We propose a method of measuring and decomposing inequity in health care utilisation that allows for heterogeneity in the use–need relationship. This makes explicit inequity that derives from unequal treatment response to variation in need, as well as that due to differential effects of non-need determinants. Under plausible conditions concerning heterogeneity in the use–need relationship and the distribution of need, existing methods that impose homogeneity will underestimate pro-rich inequity. This prediction is confirmed for four middle-income Asian countries. In those countries, around one half of the observed socioeconomic inequality is due to utilisation being more responsive to need among the higher wealth and urban dwelling individuals.

Suggested Citation

  • Van de Poel, Ellen & Van Doorslaer, Eddy & O’Donnell, Owen, 2012. "Measurement of inequity in health care with heterogeneous response of use to need," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 676-689.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:31:y:2012:i:4:p:676-689
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2012.05.005
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    1. Marion Devaux, 2015. "Income-related inequalities and inequities in health care services utilisation in 18 selected OECD countries," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 16(1), pages 21-33, January.
    2. Azharuddin Akhtar & Indrani Roy Chowdhury, 2023. "The socioeconomic inequity in healthcare utilization among individuals with cardiovascular diseases in India," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(5), pages 1000-1018, May.
    3. Merino Ventosa, María & Urbanos-Garrido, Rosa M.maria.merino.ven@gmail.com, 2016. "Disentangling effects of socioeconomic status on obesity: A cross-sectional study of the Spanish adult population," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 216-224.
    4. Richard Layte & Anne Nolan, 2015. "Income-related inequity in the use of GP services by children: a comparison of Ireland and Scotland," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 16(5), pages 489-506, June.
    5. Zhao, Guangchuan & Cao, Xinbang & Ma, Chao, 2020. "Accounting for horizontal inequity in the delivery of health care: A framework for measurement and decomposition," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 13-24.
    6. Marta González-Touya & Alexandrina Stoyanova & Rosa M. Urbanos-Garrido, 2021. "COVID-19 and Unmet Healthcare Needs of Older People: Did Inequity Arise in Europe?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-15, August.
    7. García-Gómez, Pilar & Hernández-Quevedo, Cristina & Jiménez-Rubio, Dolores & Oliva-Moreno, Juan, 2015. "Inequity in long-term care use and unmet need: Two sides of the same coin," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 147-158.
    8. Maja Matanic Vautmans & Marijana Oreb & Sasa Drezgic, 2023. "Socioeconomic inequality in the use of long-term care for the elderly in Europe," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 47(2), pages 149-176.
    9. Jihyung Hong & Jaehee Lee, 2019. "Decomposing Income-Related Inequalities in Self-Reported Depression and Self-Rated Health Among Married Immigrants in South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-15, May.
    10. Vidiella-Martin, Joaquim & Hernández-Pizarro, Helena M. & García-Gómez, Pilar & López-Casasnovas, Guillem, 2024. "Unravelling hidden inequities in a universal public long-term care system," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    11. Shmueli, Amir, 2021. "Social solidarity in healthcare: The Israeli case," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    12. Adam Wagstaff & Daniel Cotlear & Patrick Hoang-Vu Eozenou & Leander R. Buisman, 2016. "Measuring progress towards universal health coverage: with an application to 24 developing countries," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 32(1), pages 147-189.
    13. Knott, R. & Lorgelly, P. & Black, N. & Hollingsworth, B., 2016. "Differential item functioning in the EQ-5D: An exploratory analysis using anchoring vignettes," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 16/14, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    14. Audrey Dorélien & Hongwei Xu, 2020. "Estimating rural–urban disparities in self-rated health in China: Impact of choice of urban definition," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(49), pages 1429-1460.
    15. Pulok, Mohammad Habibullah & van Gool, Kees & Hall, Jane, 2020. "Horizontal inequity in the utilisation of healthcare services in Australia," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(11), pages 1263-1271.
    16. Ricardo Rodrigues & Stefania Ilinca & Andrea E. Schmidt, 2018. "Income‐rich and wealth‐poor? The impact of measures of socio‐economic status in the analysis of the distribution of long‐term care use among older people," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(3), pages 637-646, March.
    17. Laura Rossouw & Teresa Bago d’Uva & Eddy Doorslaer, 2018. "Poor Health Reporting? Using Anchoring Vignettes to Uncover Health Disparities by Wealth and Race," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(5), pages 1935-1956, October.
    18. Layte, Richard & Nolan, Anne, 2013. "Income-Related Inequity in the Use of GP Services: A Comparison of Ireland and Scotland," Papers WP454, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    19. Stefania Ilinca & Ricardo Rodrigues & Andrea E. Schmidt, 2017. "Fairness and Eligibility to Long-Term Care: An Analysis of the Factors Driving Inequality and Inequity in the Use of Home Care for Older Europeans," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-15, October.
    20. Raoul Bermejo III & Sonja Firth & Andrew Hodge & Eliana Jimenez-Soto & Willibald Zeck, 2015. "Overcoming Stagnation in the Levels and Distribution of Child Mortality: The Case of the Philippines," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(10), pages 1-13, October.
    21. Laura Anselmi & Mylène Lagarde & Kara Hanson, 2015. "Health service availability and health seeking behaviour in resource poor settings: evidence from Mozambique," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    22. Olufunke A. Alaba & Charles Hongoro & Aquina Thulare & Akim Tafadzwa Lukwa, 2021. "Leaving No Child Behind: Decomposing Socioeconomic Inequalities in Child Health for India and South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health care; Equity; Decomposition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality

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