Hospital Choice in Japan

We use newly released data on Japanese hospitals to explore patients’ perceptions of hospital quality, the implications of these assessments for the structure of demand for hospital care, and the role of the availability and quality of hospital care in influencing access. We find that the primary influences on hospital choice for Japanese patients are interpersonal aspects of care, that Japanese hospital markets are not segmented, and that availability has no influence on access. These results are interpreted in light of institutional differences between the Japanese and American health care systems.