OECD Health Policy Studies Geographic Variations in Health Care What Do We Know and What Can Be Done to Improve Health System Performance?

Variations in health care use within a country are complicated. In some cases they may reflect differences in health needs, in patient preferences or in the diffusion of a therapeutic innovation; in others they may not. There is evidence that some of the observed variations are unwarranted, signalling under- or over-provision of health services, or both. This study documents geographic variations ...