Are family physicians good for you? Endogenous doctor supply and individual health.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate the impact of family physician (FP) supply on individual health, adjusting for factors that affect both health and FPs' choice of location.

Study population

A total of 49,541 individuals in 351 English local authorities (LAs).

Data sources

Data on individual health and personal characteristics from three rounds (1998, 1999, and 2000) of the Health Survey for England were linked to LA data on FP supply.

Study design

Three methods for analyzing self-reported health were used. FP supply, instrumented by house prices and by age-weighted capitation payments for patients on FP lists, was included in individual-level health regressions along with individual and LA covariates.

Results

When no instruments are used FPs have a positive but

SUBMITTER: Gravelle H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2517263 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature