How far to the hospital?
Subtitle: the effect of hospital closures on access to care
By: Thomas C. Buchmueller, Mireille Jacobson, Cheryl Wold.
Contributors: Jacobson, Mireille.; Wold, Cheryl.; National Bureau of Economic Research.
Series: NBER working paper series ;; working paper 10700; Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research : Online) ;; working paper no. 10700.
Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Subjects: Hospital closures -- California.; Health services accessibility -- California.; Medical care, Cost of -- California.
Description: "Do urban hospital closures affect health care access or health outcomes? We study closures in Los Angeles County between 1997 and 2003, through their effect on distance to the nearest hospital.  We find that increased distance to the nearest hospital shifts regular care away from emergency rooms and outpatient clinics to doctor's offices.  While most residents are otherwise unaffected by closures, lower-income residents report more difficulty accessing care, working age residents are less likely to receive HIV tests, and seniors less likely to receive flu shots.  We also find some evidence that increased distance raises infant mortality rates and stronger evidence that it increases deaths from unintentional injuries and heart attacks"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Title from PDF file as viewed on 1/7/2005.
Also available in print.
System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.