Spatial distribution of healthcare access and utilization: do they affect health outcomes in Turkey?. Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Karahasan, Burhan Can; Bilgel, Fırat
• Is Part Of: Middle East development journal. Volume 11:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 124
• Page End: 163
• Publication Date: 2019-01-02
• Subjects: Healthcare -- inequalities -- spatial dependence -- Turkey; I11 -- I15 -- R11; Middle East -- Economic conditions -- 1979- -- Periodicals; Economic forecasting -- Middle East -- Periodicals; Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1960- -- Periodicals; Economic forecasting -- Africa -- Periodicals; Economic forecasting; Economic history; Africa; Middle East; Periodicals; 338.95605
• DOI: 10.1080/17938120.2019.1583509
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1793-8120

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the link between healthcare access/utilization and health outcomes in Turkey within a spatial framework. Our initial set of findings highlight an overall duality in health indicators which is getting stronger once a spatial dimension is included. Specifically we find wider spatial dichotomy for health outcomes relative to access and utilization measures. Finally once we consider unobserved heterogeneity, spatial spillovers and spatial variability; our results pinpoint a non-robust link between healthcare access/utilization measures and health outcomes which works better among the already developed regions of Turkey. Overall, our combined results indicate an ongoing polarization of health-based human capital development which coincides with local variations of the relationship between healthcare access/utilization and outcomes in Turkey.