Latent class versus two-part models in the demand for physician services across the European Union

• Published in: Health economics Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 301 - 321
• Main Authors: Jiménez-Martín, Sergi, Labeaga, José M., Martínez-Granado, Maite
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.06.2002; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Series: Health Economics
• Subjects: count data; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Demand; Econometrics; Economics, Medical; Europe; European Union; Family Characteristics; Family physicians; Family Practice - economics; Family Practice - statistics & numerical data; Gatekeeping - statistics & numerical data; General practitioners; Health economics; Health Expenditures - statistics & numerical data; Health services; Health Services Needs and Demand - economics; Health Services Needs and Demand - statistics & numerical data; Health services utilization; Humans; Latent class analysis; latent class model; Manycountries; Medicine - statistics & numerical data; Models, Econometric; National Health Programs - economics; National Health Programs - utilization; Needs Assessment - economics; Office Visits - utilization; Physicians; Specialization; Specialized services; Statistical analysis; Studies; two-part model; Europe
• ISSN: 1057-9230; 1099-1050
• DOI: 10.1002/hec.672

Using three waves of data from the European Community Household Panel, this paper estimates demand for physician services equations for 12 European countries. We focus on the selection of the most appropriate econometric specification for visits to general practitioners and to specialists among two‐part and latent class models. The distinction between the demand of services from these two types of physicians allows us to distinguish cases in which two‐part perform better than latent class models, evidence which is different from previous findings in the literature. The results suggest that latent class models are more appropriate than two‐part models to estimate general practitioners utilisation while the opposite is found for visits to the specialists. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.