Zhao Shaoyang, Wang Yueqin, Chen Yuxiao, Zhou Mei
School of Economics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
School of Politics and Public Administration, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Int J Equity Health. 2025 Mar 31;24(1):87. doi: 10.1186/s12939-025-02450-1.
Access to quality essential healthcare services is a fundamental right for all residents. However, the unequal allocation of healthcare resources affects patients' accessibility to care, thereby influencing their healthcare choices. Utilizing health insurance administrative data and employing a difference-in-differences (DID) model, this study examines the impact of China's healthcare resource allocation reform on patients' healthcare choices. The findings reveal that increased investment in rural healthcare resources significantly reduces the proportion of residents seeking medical services outside their counties, alleviates patients' medical burden, and enhances healthcare quality. Notably, these improvements primarily benefit patients with common diseases, while the impact on those with rare diseases remains less pronounced. These results underscore the importance of strengthening the comprehensive capabilities of county-level hospitals and prioritizing high-quality resource allocation in rural areas as key directions for future reforms in healthcare system.
获得优质基本医疗服务是所有居民的一项基本权利。然而，医疗资源分配不均影响患者获得医疗服务的机会，从而影响他们的医疗选择。本研究利用医疗保险行政数据并采用双重差分（DID）模型，考察了中国医疗资源分配改革对患者医疗选择的影响。研究结果表明，农村医疗资源投入增加显著降低了居民跨县就医的比例，减轻了患者的医疗负担，提高了医疗质量。值得注意的是，这些改善主要惠及患有常见疾病的患者，而对患有罕见疾病的患者的影响仍然不太明显。这些结果凸显了加强县级医院综合能力以及将农村地区高质量资源分配作为未来医疗体系改革关键方向的重要性。
