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Medical guidelines, physician density, and quality of care: evidence from German SHARE data

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  • Hendrik Jürges

  • Vincent Pohl

Abstract

We use German SHARE data to study the relationship between district general practitioner density and the quality of preventive care provided to older adults. We measure physician quality of care as the degree of adherence to medical guidelines (for the management of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and the prevention of falls) as reported by patients. Contrary to theoretical expectations, we find only weak and insignificant effects of physician density on quality of care. Our results shed doubt on the notion that increasing physician supply will increase the quality of care provided in Germany’s present health care system. Copyright Springer-Verlag 2012

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  • Hendrik Jürges & Vincent Pohl, 2012. "Medical guidelines, physician density, and quality of care: evidence from German SHARE data," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 13(5), pages 635-649, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujhec:v:13:y:2012:i:5:p:635-649
    DOI: 10.1007/s10198-011-0372-5
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    2. Ansgar Lange & Anne Prenzler & Oliver Bachmann & Roland Linder & Sarah Neubauer & Jan Zeidler & Michael Manns & J.-Matthias von der Schulenburg, 2015. "Regional differences in health care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Germany," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Salm, Martin & Wübker, Ansgar, 2020. "Sources of regional variation in healthcare utilization in Germany," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    4. Salm, Martin & Wübker, Ansgar, 2017. "Causes of regional variation in healthcare utilization in Germany," Ruhr Economic Papers 675, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    5. Stroka-Wetsch, Magdalena A. & Talmann, Anna & Linder, Roland, 2016. "Does competition in the out-patient sector improve quality of medical care? Evidence from administrative data," Ruhr Economic Papers 638, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    6. Jens Dietrichson & Lina Maria Ellegård & Gustav Kjellsson, 2020. "Patient choice, entry, and the quality of primary care: Evidence from Swedish reforms," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(6), pages 716-730, June.
    7. Vogt, Verena, 2016. "The contribution of locational factors to regional variations in office-based physicians in Germany," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 198-204.
    8. Lorenzo Rocco & Elena Fumagalli & Marc Suhrcke, 2014. "From Social Capital To Health – And Back," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(5), pages 586-605, May.
    9. Laura Vallejo-Torres & Stephen Morris, 2018. "Primary care supply and quality of care in England," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(4), pages 499-519, May.
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    12. Stroka, Magdalena A., 2021. "Regional variation in the supply of general and medical practitioners and its consequences for inpatient service utilization," Ruhr Economic Papers 877, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.

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    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations

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