Socioeconomic Patterns in Health Service Use in Spain
Author Information
Author(s): Regidor Enrique, Martínez David, Calle María E, Astasio Paloma, Ortega Paloma, Domínguez Vicente
Primary Institution: Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Hypothesis
The study aims to estimate the relation between socioeconomic position and health services use to determine if findings are compatible with horizontal equity.
Conclusion
The study finds inequity in GP visits and hospitalizations favoring lower socioeconomic groups, while equity is observed in the use of specialist physicians.
Supporting Evidence
- Lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to visit public GPs and use public hospitals.
- Higher socioeconomic groups tend to use private health services more frequently.
- The study supports the idea of horizontal equity in specialist care.
Takeaway
People with less money tend to use public doctors and hospitals more, while wealthier people often choose private doctors.
Methodology
Data from the 2003 Spanish National Health Survey was analyzed using stratified multistage sampling to assess health service use based on socioeconomic indicators.
Potential Biases
Potential residual confounding due to lack of adequate measures of the need for care.
Limitations
The study does not provide information on the supply and quality of public health services, which are necessary for evaluating equity.
Participant Demographics
The study included a representative sample of the non-institutionalized population residing in Spain.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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