Regional differences of outpatient physician supply as a theoretical economic and empirical generalized linear model

Human Resources for Health

Wolfgang Greiner²  Johann-Matthias Graf von der Schulenburg¹  Stefan Scholz² 

[1] Institut für Versicherungsbetriebslehre, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Otto-Brenner-Straße 1, Hannover, 30159, Germany;Department of Health Economics and Management, Faculty of Public Health, University of Bielefeld, Universitätsstr. 25, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany

关键词: Regional analysis;    Spatial analysis;    Physician density;    Physician supply;   

Others  :  1234443
DOI  :  10.1186/s12960-015-0088-1

 received in 2015-01-09, accepted in 2015-11-11,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Background

Regional differences in physician supply can be found in many health care systems, regardless of their organizational and financial structure. A theoretical model is developed for the physicians’ decision on office allocation, covering demand-side factors and a consumption time function.

Methods

To test the propositions following the theoretical model, generalized linear models were estimated to explain differences in 412 German districts. Various factors found in the literature were included to control for physicians’ regional preferences.

Results

Evidence in favor of the first three propositions of the theoretical model could be found. Specialists show a stronger association to higher populated districts than GPs. Although indicators for regional preferences are significantly correlated with physician density, their coefficients are not as high as population density.

Conclusions

If regional disparities should be addressed by political actions, the focus should be to counteract those parameters representing physicians’ preferences in over- and undersupplied regions.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Scholz et al.

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