An empirical analysis of Portuguese Hospitals

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of austerity in Portuguese hospitals on mortality. Using combined data obtained from the National Health Service and the Central Administration of the Health System in Portugal we estimate a probit model. Empirical results suggest an inverse relationship between financial resources and mortality, robust across the different groups of hospitals defined by the NHS. To our knowledge, this paper is the first to examine the impact of financial hardship on institutional level on hospital mortality in Portugal.