Enhancing Health and Health System Outcomes: Exploring the Interplay between Health Expenditures, Access to Health Services, Utilization of Health Services, and Health Status
Transforming Health in Turkey: An Evaluation of Two Decades of Reform, Dilek Başar,Selcen Öztürk, Editör, Taylor & Francis Ltd, New York, ss.29-52, 2025
- Yayın Türü: Kitapta Bölüm / Araştırma Kitabı
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.4324/9781003539896-3
- Yayınevi: Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Basıldığı Şehir: New York
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.29-52
- Editörler: Dilek Başar,Selcen Öztürk, Editör
- Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The implementation of the Health Transformation Programme (H.T.P.) in Turkey since 2003 aimed to achieve universal health insurance coverage, improve access to healthcare services, and enhance patient satisfaction. This significant health reform has brought substantial changes in Turkey’s healthcare system. This study examines the relationship between health expenditures, access to health services, utilization of health services, and health status within the framework of the H.T.P. The study will contribute to the relevant resources in which the H.T.P. and its outcomes will be discussed, as well as contribute to the appropriate field in the health economics literature. Utilizing the data for Turkey between 2003 and 2021, the relationship between the variables has been analysed with the Vector Autoregressive Model (V.A.R.) method. In addition, the study emphasizes the findings in more detail with Impulse-Response Function, Variance Decomposition, and Historical Variance Decomposition methodologies. According to the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (A.D.F.) unit root test, all series were found to be stationary at their first differences. Our robust econometric specifications show that increases in patient satisfaction levels within the scope of H.T.P. increased the life expectancy at birth by 36%, and increases in the doctor consultation rate reduced infant mortality rates by 20%. Hence, improving health services regarding expenditures and access levels affects health status indicators in different dimensions with different magnitudes.