Equity Measurement in Health : Ethical Foundations and Implications

Résumé 0

Many recent analyses have attempted to measure and explain income-related health and health care inequalities in France. Nevertheless aspects related to equity have not systematically been emphasised. This paper considers the question of equity in recent empirical research. It adopts a multi-field dimension and offers an ethical reading of the research on inequalities, particularly in the demand for health care. We consider underlying dimensions of equity related to the measurement of health, the measurement of inequalities and the interpretation of results. Our discussion shows that the equity concept cannot be left out of any economic analysis in this field of application and that a more systematic elicitation of the equity concepts underpinning empirical results would ensure a better link between equity measurement and policy definition. Finally, we stress the shift from analyses of health and health related inequalities towards research on inequalities of opportunity, which constitutes a direct transcription of the notion of equity in health. Classification JEL: I10 D63