title: Measuring socioeconomic inequality in health, health care and health financing by means of rank-dependent indices: a recipe for good practice.
abstract: The tools to be used and other choices to be made when measuring socioeconomic inequalities with rank-dependent inequality indices have recently been debated in this journal. This paper adds to this debate by stressing the importance of the measurement scale, by providing formal proofs of several issues in the debate, and by lifting the curtain on the confusing debate between adherents of absolute versus relative health differences. We end this paper with a 'matrix' that provides guidelines on the usefulness of several rank-dependent inequality indices under varying circumstances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, University of Antwerp, City Campus, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium. guido.erreygers@ua.ac.be
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erreygers
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Ourti
mesh_terms: D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors