Does ownership affect the provision of health services in Ireland? - The Case of Hip Replacements in Public and Private Clinics

This paper examines how ownership affects professional behaviour, treatment quality and patient satisfaction in the case of hip replacements in Ireland. We use quantitative data for public hospitals and the author's own surveys for the private sector and qualitative data from 12 interviews, following the methodology of Andersen and Jakobsen (2010). We find that patient satisfaction is higher in the private sector though the private sector has fewer patients with complications. The surgeons' choice of operating environment is made in light of the back-up facilities available and not influenced by economic considerations. The treatment in both sectors is identical and there is no difference in clinical outcomes due to the professional norms of the consultant surgeons. Ownership of facilities does not affect the clinical outcomes in provision of hip replacements in Ireland.