Human Resources for Health and Health Outcomes: Panel Data Analysis

Abstract

: 1 This study aims to evaluate the effects of selected key factors on health outcomes. Unfortunately, statistical reporting in this field is not harmonized, and in some countries it is completely absent. For this reason, valuable information for health determinant analysis may be lacking or overlooked. Using two different databases, we obtained data from 61 countries for the period 2000–2015. To analyse panel data with over 660 observations, a linear mixed model was applied. This paper contributes to the health economics debate by statistically testing the relationship between health outcomes and variables such as healthcare personnel, healthcare expenditure and infrastructure. The results confirm the importance of healthcare expenditure and healthcare infrastructure. However, the size and direction of the effect vary among countries with different income levels. In regard to human resources, the number of doctors proved to have a significant effect only in lower-income countries.