Petter Lundborg
Professor
Does Health-Care Consolidation Harm Patients? Evidence from Maternity Ward Closures
Författare
Summary, in English
We study how closures of maternity wards affect maternal and neonatal health. Using data on all hospital births in Sweden between 1990 and 2004, we compare changes in birth-related outcomes across hospital catchment areas that were differently exposed to ward closures. Our findings show that the closures increased maternal obstetric trauma but also decreased fetal stress and infant trauma among newborns. Adverse maternal outcomes are mainly driven by ward overcrowding, whereas increases in travel distance have no distinguishable effects. Positive effects on infant health reflect a shift of births from smaller to larger wards of higher quality.
Avdelning/ar
- Nationalekonomiska institutionen
Publiceringsår
2024
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
160-189
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
Volym
16
Issue
1
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
American Economic Association
Ämne
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1945-7731