Healthcare resource allocation and patient choice: evidence from rural China
Abstract Access to quality essential healthcare services is a fundamental right for all residents. However, the unequal allocation of healthcare resources affects patients' accessibility to care, thereby influencing their healthcare choices. Utilizing health insurance administrative data and em...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-03-01
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| Series: | International Journal for Equity in Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02450-1 |
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| _version_ | 1849733339037040640 |
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| author | Shaoyang Zhao Yueqin Wang Yuxiao Chen Mei Zhou |
| author_facet | Shaoyang Zhao Yueqin Wang Yuxiao Chen Mei Zhou |
| author_sort | Shaoyang Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Access to quality essential healthcare services is a fundamental right for all residents. However, the unequal allocation of healthcare resources affects patients' accessibility to care, thereby influencing their healthcare choices. Utilizing health insurance administrative data and employing a difference-in-differences (DID) model, this study examines the impact of China’s healthcare resource allocation reform on patients’ healthcare choices. The findings reveal that increased investment in rural healthcare resources significantly reduces the proportion of residents seeking medical services outside their counties, alleviates patients’ medical burden, and enhances healthcare quality. Notably, these improvements primarily benefit patients with common diseases, while the impact on those with rare diseases remains less pronounced. These results underscore the importance of strengthening the comprehensive capabilities of county-level hospitals and prioritizing high-quality resource allocation in rural areas as key directions for future reforms in healthcare system. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2bdbe3e4aacc4c10ac4c2599cc298090 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1475-9276 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Equity in Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-2bdbe3e4aacc4c10ac4c2599cc2980902025-08-20T03:08:05ZengBMCInternational Journal for Equity in Health1475-92762025-03-0124111510.1186/s12939-025-02450-1Healthcare resource allocation and patient choice: evidence from rural ChinaShaoyang Zhao0Yueqin Wang1Yuxiao Chen2Mei Zhou3School of Economics, Sichuan UniversitySchool of Economics, Sichuan UniversitySchool of Politics and Public Administration, Zhengzhou UniversitySchool of Public Administration, Southwestern University of Finance and EconomicsAbstract Access to quality essential healthcare services is a fundamental right for all residents. However, the unequal allocation of healthcare resources affects patients' accessibility to care, thereby influencing their healthcare choices. Utilizing health insurance administrative data and employing a difference-in-differences (DID) model, this study examines the impact of China’s healthcare resource allocation reform on patients’ healthcare choices. The findings reveal that increased investment in rural healthcare resources significantly reduces the proportion of residents seeking medical services outside their counties, alleviates patients’ medical burden, and enhances healthcare quality. Notably, these improvements primarily benefit patients with common diseases, while the impact on those with rare diseases remains less pronounced. These results underscore the importance of strengthening the comprehensive capabilities of county-level hospitals and prioritizing high-quality resource allocation in rural areas as key directions for future reforms in healthcare system.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02450-1Healthcare resource allocationPatient choiceHealthcare burdenHealthcare quality |
| spellingShingle | Shaoyang Zhao Yueqin Wang Yuxiao Chen Mei Zhou Healthcare resource allocation and patient choice: evidence from rural China International Journal for Equity in Health Healthcare resource allocation Patient choice Healthcare burden Healthcare quality |
| title | Healthcare resource allocation and patient choice: evidence from rural China |
| title_full | Healthcare resource allocation and patient choice: evidence from rural China |
| title_fullStr | Healthcare resource allocation and patient choice: evidence from rural China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Healthcare resource allocation and patient choice: evidence from rural China |
| title_short | Healthcare resource allocation and patient choice: evidence from rural China |
| title_sort | healthcare resource allocation and patient choice evidence from rural china |
| topic | Healthcare resource allocation Patient choice Healthcare burden Healthcare quality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02450-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shaoyangzhao healthcareresourceallocationandpatientchoiceevidencefromruralchina AT yueqinwang healthcareresourceallocationandpatientchoiceevidencefromruralchina AT yuxiaochen healthcareresourceallocationandpatientchoiceevidencefromruralchina AT meizhou healthcareresourceallocationandpatientchoiceevidencefromruralchina |