Unequal roles of cities in the inter-urban healthcare system

Abstract

Cities are increasingly interdependent regarding healthcare provision/demand. However, the inter-urban healthcare system (IHS) behind the nationwide patient mobility remains largely unknown. Leveraging human mobility big data, we reveal cities’ roles in providing/demanding quality healthcare within the IHS of China. We find that 8%of Chinese cities arenational and regional hubs that address the healthcare shortage of cities deprived of quality healthcare, while 63% of the cities that are unnoticed compensate for migrant workers being denied healthcare rights in megacities. IHS generates new structural inequalities in healthcare access exhibiting a Matthew effect, where the few (12%) cities that are already rich in healthcare resources benefit more and can strengthen their advantages in providing healthcare to local populations (32% of China’s total population). While, the majority (35%) of cities, particularly those facing healthcare shortages, are further disadvantaged in ensuring adequate healthcare for their local populations (26% of China’s total population).