Periodic and Regional Differences in Resource Distribution and Healthcare Utilization in Healthcare Institutions

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to reveal the periodic changes and regional differences in the physical infrastructure, human resources, technological equipment and healthcare utilization indicators of public healthcare institutions in Türkiye between 2020 and 2023.
Design/methodology/approach – In the study, data from 12 regional public health institutions in Türkiye covering the years 2020-2023 were used. Data were compiled from the Health Statistics Yearbooks published by the Ministry of Health. In the study, multiple comparison analyses were performed with parametric and non-parametric difference tests to determine regional and periodic differences in indicators related to healthcare institution resources and utilization. The indicators were evaluated under four headings: physical infrastructure, human resources, technological equipment, and healthcare utilization.
Results – The findings reveal significant differences in various indicators, both across years and regions. The TRC (Southeastern Anatolia) region has relatively the lowest values in many indicators related to healthcare institution resources and utilization. Comparisons across years revealed increasing trends in some indicators, while decreasing trends in others were observed.
Discussion – The findings indicate that there may be significant differences in public health resources and service utilization indicators across regions and years. In particular, higher or lower values of certain indicators in some regions may indicate a lack of homogeneous distribution in healthcare service provision. In addition, the increasing or decreasing trends observed in some indicators over the years suggest that healthcare service delivery may be affected by various dynamics. In this context, considering regional needs in resource planning and allocation processes in public healthcare institutions is considered a crucial requirement.