Hospital Choice: Survey Evidence From Istanbul

This paper analyzes the patient characteristics that affect the choice between public and private health care providers in Istanbul, Turkey. In addition to socioeconomic variables, such as insurance status or income, which have often been considered in the previous literature, we also focus on another factor, the availability of social networks, which might determine ease of access to hospital services in developing countries. The analysis is based on data from a household survey conducted in Istanbul. The econometric results indicate that potential social ties play an important role in choosing public health care centers over private ones for minor health problems. As public facilities have long been characterized by long waiting lines even for appointments for medical exams, this finding indicates that households who possess higher levels of social networks might be using those in easing access to public facilities.