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Access to treatment and educational inequalities in cancer survival

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  • Fiva, Jon H.
  • Hægeland, Torbjørn
  • Rønning, Marte
  • Syse, Astri

Abstract

The public health care systems in the Nordic countries provide high quality care almost free of charge to all citizens. However, social inequalities in health persist. Previous research has, for example, documented substantial educational inequalities in cancer survival. We investigate to what extent this may be driven by differential access to and utilization of high quality treatment options. Quasi-experimental evidence based on the establishment of regional cancer wards indicates that (i) highly educated individuals utilized centralized specialized treatment to a greater extent than less educated patients and (ii) the use of such treatment improved these patients’ survival.

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  • Fiva, Jon H. & Hægeland, Torbjørn & Rønning, Marte & Syse, Astri, 2014. "Access to treatment and educational inequalities in cancer survival," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 98-111.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:36:y:2014:i:c:p:98-111
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.04.001
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    3. Kinge, Jonas Minet & Vallejo-Torres, Laura & Morris, Stephen, 2015. "Income related inequalities in avoidable mortality in Norway: A population-based study using data from 1994–2011," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(7), pages 889-898.
    4. Døskeland, Trond & Kværner, Jens, 2022. "Cancer and portfolio choice: Evidence from Norwegian register data," Other publications TiSEM 9efe1b52-789e-496a-84de-4, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. Mani, Sneha Sarah & Schut, Rebecca Anna, 2023. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inequalities in preventive health screenings: Trends and implications for U.S. population health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 328(C).
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    7. Ana Beatriz D′Avó Luís & Mikyung Kelly Seo, 2021. "Has the development of cancer biomarkers to guide treatment improved health outcomes?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 22(5), pages 789-810, July.
    8. Akim Adekpedjou & Sophie Dabo‐Niang, 2021. "Semiparametric estimation with spatially correlated recurrent events," Scandinavian Journal of Statistics, Danish Society for Theoretical Statistics;Finnish Statistical Society;Norwegian Statistical Association;Swedish Statistical Association, vol. 48(4), pages 1097-1126, December.
    9. Abrahamsen, Signe A. & Grøtting, Maja Weemes, 2019. "Formal Care of the Elderly and Health Outcomes Among Adult Daughters," Working Papers in Economics 2/19, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
    10. Balia, Silvia & Brau, Rinaldo & Moro, Daniela, 2020. "Choice of hospital and long-distances: Evidence from Italy," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
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    12. Yiqun Chen & Petra Persson & Maria Polyakova, 2019. "The Roots of Health Inequality and The Value of Intra-Family Expertise," NBER Working Papers 25618, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Godøy, Anna & Huitfeldt, Ingrid, 2020. "Regional variation in health care utilization and mortality," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    14. Jens Kvaerner, 2016. "What Can Shocks to Life Expectancy Reveal About Bequest Motives?," 2016 Meeting Papers 1381, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    15. Frankovic, Ivan & Kuhn, Michael, 2019. "Access to health care, medical progress and the emergence of the longevity gap: A general equilibrium analysis," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    16. Kelly, Mark & Kuhn, Michael, 2022. "Congestion in a public health service: A macro approach," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Health; Inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

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