Work

Waiting Time and Socioeconomic Status—an Individual‐level Analysis

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Waiting time is a rationing mechanism that is used in publicly funded healthcare systems. From an equity viewpoint, it is regarded as preferable to co-payments. However, long waits are an indication of poor quality of service. To our knowledge, this analysis is the first to benefit from individual-level data from administrative registers to investigate the relationship between waiting time, income, and education. Furthermore, it makes use of an extensive set of medical information that serves as indicators of patient need. Differences in waiting time by socioeconomic status are detected. For men, there is a statistically highly significant negative association between income and waiting time, driven by men in the highest income group, which constitutes 12% of all men. More educated women, that is, those having an education above compulsory schooling, experience lower waiting time than their fellow sisters with the lowest level of education.

Source: Health Economics

DOI: 10.1002/hec.2924

Authors: Karin Monstad, Lars Birger Engesæter, Birgitte Espehaug

Institutions: Uni Research (Norway), Haukeland University Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Healthcare Systems and Reforms

Subfield: Finance

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being, No poverty

Open Access status: green

Funder: Universitetet i Bergen