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Effects of formal home care on hospitalizations and doctor visits

Author

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  • Judite Gonçalves

    (Universidade Nova de Lisboa)

  • France Weaver

    (James Madison University)

Abstract

This study estimates the effects of formal home care, provided by paid professionals, on hospitalizations and doctor visits. We look at different lengths-of-stay (LOS) and types of doctor visits—general practitioners (GP) and specialists—and investigate heterogeneous effects by age groups and informal care availability. Two-part generalized linear models are estimated, using data from Switzerland. In this federal country, home care policy is decentralized into 26 cantons. Home care is measured at the canton level and its endogeneity is addressed by using an instrumental variable strategy combined with canton and time fixed-effects. We instrument home care use with the introduction of patient cost sharing for home care in some cantons in 2011. Overall, home care significantly increases the likelihoods of having a hospitalization, any doctor visit, or a GP visit. In addition, home care significantly reduces LOS up to 30 days, but has no effect on the number of doctor visits. These results are driven by the effects on persons 65 years and older. The effects are small, suggesting that the potential of formal home care to limit the growth in inpatient care and doctor visits may be limited.

Suggested Citation

  • Judite Gonçalves & France Weaver, 2017. "Effects of formal home care on hospitalizations and doctor visits," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 203-233, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ijhcfe:v:17:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s10754-016-9200-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10754-016-9200-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Moura, Ana, 2021. "Essays in health economics," Other publications TiSEM c93abd22-fa4a-42a5-b172-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    3. Brendan Walsh & Seán Lyons & Samantha Smith & Maev‐Ann Wren & James Eighan & Edgar Morgenroth, 2020. "Does formal home care reduce inpatient length of stay?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(12), pages 1620-1636, December.
    4. Coe, Norma B. & Goda, Gopi Shah & Van Houtven, Courtney Harold, 2023. "Family spillovers and long-term care insurance," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    5. Mozhaeva, Irina, 2022. "Inequalities in utilization of institutional care among older people in Estonia," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(7), pages 704-714.
    6. Mark Kattenberg & Pieter Bakx, 2021. "Substitute services: a barrier to controlling long-term care expenditures," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 85-97, March.
    7. Moura, Ana, 2022. "Do subsidized nursing homes and home care teams reduce hospital bed-blocking? Evidence from Portugal," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    8. Serrano-Alarcón, Manuel & Hernández-Pizarro, Helena & López-Casasnovas, Guillem & Nicodemo, Catia, 2022. "Effects of long-term care benefits on healthcare utilization in Catalonia," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    9. Mark Kattenberg & Pieter Bakx, 2018. "Are substitute services a barrier to controlling long-term care expenditures?," CPB Discussion Paper 382, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    10. Walsh, Brendan & Wren, Maev-Ann & Smith, Samantha & Lyons, Seán & Eighan, James & Morgenroth, Edgar, 2019. "An analysis of the effects on Irish hospital care of the supply of care inside and outside the hospital," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS91, June.
    11. Manuel Serrano-Alarcón & Helena Hernández-Pizarro & Guillem López i Casasnovas & Catia Nicodemo, 2021. "The effect of Long-Term Care (LTC) benefits on healthcare use," Working Papers 2021-12, FEDEA.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Home care; Hospitalizations; Doctor visits; Instrumental variable;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C26 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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