Convenient primary care and emergency hospital utilisation

Edward Pinchbeck

Journal of Health Economics, 2019, vol. 68, issue C

Abstract: Participation and utilisation decisions lie at the heart of many public policy questions. I contribute new evidence by using hospital records to examine how access to primary care services affects utilisation of hospital Emergency Departments in England. Using a natural experiment in the roll out of services, I first show that access to primary care reduces Emergency Department visits. Additional strategies then allow me to separate descriptively four aspects of primary care access: proximity, opening hours, need to make an appointment, and eligibility. Convenience-oriented services divert three times as many patients from emergency visits, largely because patients can attend without appointments.

Keywords: Primary care; Emergency care; Access; Utilisation decisions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D12 I11 I12 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:68:y:2019:i:c:s0167629618311342

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2019.102242

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