“Health Care Centralization: The Health Impacts of Obstetric Unit Closures in the United States”, 2024-07-01 (; similar):
Over the last few decades, health care services in the United States have become more geographically centralized.
We study how the loss of hospital-based obstetric units in over 400 counties affects maternal and infant health via a difference-in-differences design.
We find that closures lead mothers to experience a significant change in birth procedures such as inductions and C-sections.
In contrast to concerns voiced in the public discourse, the effects on a range of maternal and infant health outcomes are negligible or slightly beneficial. While women travel farther to receive care, closures induce women to receive higher quality care.