Variationer i kostnader för specialiserad sjukvård - En analys av demografi, socioekonomi och hälsans inverkan på kostnaderna för specialistvård i Västra Götalandsregionen
SpecialistsjukvårdDemografiSocioekonomiHälsaKostnaderSpecialized health careDemographySocioeconomyHealthCosts
Abstract. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine certain health, demographic and socioeconomic factors that affect the costs for specialized health care between the municipalities within the Västra Götaland region. Method: The method is explorative and analytical. The costs for specialized health care was divided into three different subgroups; independent somatic specialized health care, specialized health care provided by private practices or outside the region and psychiatric specialized health care. The data was age-standardized. The different determinants were chosen and mainly gathered from a big survey study from 2011 ?Hälsa på lika villkor?? and from the Swedish public health department (Folkhälsoinstitutet). A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to see each determinants effect on the cost for specialized health care. Result: The higher the average income in a municipality indicates higher somatic specialized health care costs. In contrary the higher percentage socially isolated in a municipality, the lower costs for specialized health care in the same study. The prevalence of chosen diseases in a certain municipality and the number of inhabitants per square kilometre were given as determining factors in increasing the costs within private specialized health care and specialized health care outside the region. Low level of education and the percentage of women in a municipality have an increasing effect on the costs for psychiatric specialized health care. The analysis shows that average income is the most determining factor for the total specialized health care costs in the Västra Götaland region. Conclusion: The result indicates that despite a low given health status within a municipality, this was no determining factor on the costs of specialized health care. The strongest determining factor is the average income. Noteworthy is the fact that neither given health status nor distance to the closest hospital were seen as determining factors on the specialized health care costs in the municipalities within the Västra Götaland region.