Der Unfallchirurg
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Review Meta Analysis
[Differences in the use of health care services - is everything unethical?].
Regional differences in the use of health services have been known for several decades. This variability is often overall regarded as undesirable in discussions and ethical-moral argumentation takes place. The description and analysis of this variability and the underlying causes are the subject of numerous investigations in various health care systems. ⋯ The description of regional differences is an important step toward provision of evidence-based and tailored health care. Differences in health care provision and especially regionally varying high intervention rates are not per se problematic. Whether a patient receives an intervention or not should, however, not depend any more on where he or she lives and which physician is being consulted, but on his or her individual medical condition or preferences. Target group-oriented evidence-based information can help to minimize undesirable variability.