Equal access to primary care: A reference for spatial allocation

Alexander Haering, Matthias Kaeding and Anna Werbeck

No 1089, Ruhr Economic Papers from RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen

Abstract: We study the regional distribution of primary care physicians in Germany to learn about the extent and possible reasons of geographic maldistribution. For this aim, we apply a greedy capacitated algorithm on very fine spatial data. We compare this reference allocation of primary care physicians to the status quo. Our results suggest that Germany has a shortage of primary care physicians of 6% which is particularly evident in rural areas. Some municipality characteristics like purchasing power and number of schools can explain parts of the difference in the number of physicians between cities and rural areas. Large parts, however, remain unexplained.

Keywords: Health and inequality; optimization techniques; regional economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C61 I14 R10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:rwirep:300565

DOI: 10.4419/96973266

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