Inequalities in access to healthcare and mortality. An analysis of the Stroke Unit network in Italy.

Stroke Units represent the most advanced and effective model for treating acute cerebrovascular disorders, significantly reducing stroke-related mortality and disability. However, equal access to such facilities and effective treatments is not granted to all stroke patients. In this paper, we estimate the effect of access inequality to stroke units, proxied by the distance between a non-stroke unit hospital and the nearest stroke unit, on intra-hospital mortality and emergency transfers. We show that hospitals in the same municipality of a stroke unit have lower intra-hospital mortality and higher emergency transfers than non-stroke unit hospitals located farther away. We show that results are significant in the North of Italy, where we find a higher share of stroke units that comply with the requirements imposed by the law.

Keywords: Access inequality, Stroke units.

JEL Classification: I12, I18.