Factors related to treatment intensity in Swiss primary care.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Questions about the existence of supplier-induced demand emerge repeatedly in discussions about governing Swiss health care. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the interrelationship between structural factors of supply and the volume of services that are provided by primary care physicians in Switzerland.

Methods

The study was designed as a cross-sectional investigation, based on the complete claims data from all Swiss health care insurers for the year 2004, which covered information from 6087 primary care physicians and 4.7 million patients. Utilization-based health service areas were constructed and used as spatial units to analyze effects of density of supply. Hierarchical linear models were applied to analyze the data.

Results

The data showed that,

SUBMITTER: Busato A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2664802 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature