Horizontal Inequality in Rationing by Waiting Lists
Tinghög, Gustav ; Andersson, David ; Tinghög, Petter and Lyttkens, Carl Hampus LU
(2014)
In International Journal of Health Services
44(1).
p.169-184
- Abstract
- The objective of this article was to investigate the existence of horizontal inequality in access to care for six categories of elective surgery in a publicly funded system, when care is rationed through waiting lists. Administrative waiting time data on all elective surgeries (n = 4,634) performed in Östergötland, Sweden, in 2007 were linked to national registers containing variables on socioeconomic indicators. Using multiple regression, we tested five hypotheses reflecting that more resourceful groups receive priority when rationing by waiting lists. Low disposable household income predicted longer waiting times for orthopedic surgery (27%, p < 0.01) and general surgery (34%, p < 0.05). However, no significant differences on the... (More)
- The objective of this article was to investigate the existence of horizontal inequality in access to care for six categories of elective surgery in a publicly funded system, when care is rationed through waiting lists. Administrative waiting time data on all elective surgeries (n = 4,634) performed in Östergötland, Sweden, in 2007 were linked to national registers containing variables on socioeconomic indicators. Using multiple regression, we tested five hypotheses reflecting that more resourceful groups receive priority when rationing by waiting lists. Low disposable household income predicted longer waiting times for orthopedic surgery (27%, p < 0.01) and general surgery (34%, p < 0.05). However, no significant differences on the basis of ethnicity and gender were detected. A particularly noteworthy finding was that disposable household income appeared to be an increasingly influential factor when the waiting times were longer. Our findings reveal horizontal inequalities in access to elective surgeries, but only to a limited extent. Whether this is good or bad depends on one's moral inclination. From a policymaker's perspective, it is nevertheless important to recognize that horizontal inequalities arise even though care is not rationed through ability to pay. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4157807
- author
- Tinghög, Gustav
; Andersson, David
; Tinghög, Petter
and Lyttkens, Carl Hampus
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2014
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- International Journal of Health Services
- volume
- 44
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 169 - 184
- publisher
- Baywood Publishing Company, Inc.
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000331060500010
- scopus:84894151942
- ISSN
- 1541-4469
- DOI
- 10.2190/HS.44.1.j
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4d657896-d996-46c5-be6c-fe4e080f9de8 (old id 4157807)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 09:57:04
- date last changed
- 2023-08-30 14:00:30
@article{4d657896-d996-46c5-be6c-fe4e080f9de8,
abstract = {{The objective of this article was to investigate the existence of horizontal inequality in access to care for six categories of elective surgery in a publicly funded system, when care is rationed through waiting lists. Administrative waiting time data on all elective surgeries (n = 4,634) performed in Östergötland, Sweden, in 2007 were linked to national registers containing variables on socioeconomic indicators. Using multiple regression, we tested five hypotheses reflecting that more resourceful groups receive priority when rationing by waiting lists. Low disposable household income predicted longer waiting times for orthopedic surgery (27%, p < 0.01) and general surgery (34%, p < 0.05). However, no significant differences on the basis of ethnicity and gender were detected. A particularly noteworthy finding was that disposable household income appeared to be an increasingly influential factor when the waiting times were longer. Our findings reveal horizontal inequalities in access to elective surgeries, but only to a limited extent. Whether this is good or bad depends on one's moral inclination. From a policymaker's perspective, it is nevertheless important to recognize that horizontal inequalities arise even though care is not rationed through ability to pay.}},
author = {{Tinghög, Gustav and Andersson, David and Tinghög, Petter and Lyttkens, Carl Hampus}},
issn = {{1541-4469}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{169--184}},
publisher = {{Baywood Publishing Company, Inc.}},
series = {{International Journal of Health Services}},
title = {{Horizontal Inequality in Rationing by Waiting Lists}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/1416942/5337428.pdf}},
doi = {{10.2190/HS.44.1.j}},
volume = {{44}},
year = {{2014}},
}