CSRDA Discussion Paper Series

No. 30 Measuring the Demand for Medical Access Improvement Policy via a Randomized Conjoint Field Experiment in Remote and Aging Municipalities in Japan
Azusa Matsumoto, Mariko Nakagawa, Hisamitsu Saito, Ghulam Dastgir Khan, Keisuke Kawata, Kenji Oku, Ichiro Oki, Tatsuya Atsumi, Yuichiro Yoshida 
Azusa Matsumoto, Mariko Nakagawa, Hisamitsu Saito, Ghulam Dastgir Khan, Keisuke Kawata, Kenji Oku, Ichiro Oki, Tatsuya Atsumi, Yuichiro YoshidaGraduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University. Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University. Faculty of Economics and Business, Hokkaido University. Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University. Institute of Social Science, the University of Tokyo. School of Medicine, The Department of Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Kitasato University. Oki Medical Clinic. Department of Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University. Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University
Hokkaidomedical servicestransportationconjoint experiment
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-BeingGoal 10: Reduced Inequalities

Improved transportation plays a vital role in increasing the accessibility of medical services, es- pecially in remote and aging municipalities. In this study, we identify the attributes that are crucial for improving access to medical services in such municipalities in Japan, namely, Shinhidaka and Urakawa in Hokkaido. Via a randomized conjoint field experiment, we identify individuals’ prefer- ences regarding the duration and mode of transportation to hospitals that can provide high-level medical services, along with their willingness to pay to support these services as a welfare measure of the medical access improvement policy. We find, inter alia, that respondents have the strongest preference for reducing emergency ambulance transportation time to high-function hospitals. We also estimate that the respondents are willing to pay at least JPY 60 thousand (approximately USD 500) in additional taxes to the municipal government per year to sustain the policy.