Does Health-Care Consolidation Harm Patients? Evidence from Maternity Ward Closures
研究瑞典产科病房关闭对母婴健康的影响，发现关闭增加了产妇产科创伤，但减少了新生儿应激和创伤，正面效果源于分娩从小型病房转向更高质量的大型病房。
We study how closures of maternity wards affect maternal and neonatal health. Using data on all hospital births in Sweden between 1990 and 2004, we compare changes in birth-related outcomes across hospital catchment areas that were differently exposed to ward closures. Our findings show that the closures increased maternal obstetric trauma but also decreased fetal stress and infant trauma among newborns. Adverse maternal outcomes are mainly driven by ward overcrowding, whereas increases in travel distance have no distinguishable effects. Positive effects on infant health reflect a shift of births from smaller to larger wards of higher quality.