THE RELATIONSHIP OF HEALTH EXPENDITURE AND INTERNET USE: A PANEL DATA ANALYSIS FOR OECD COUNTRIES

Abstract

Today, with the developments in information and communication technologies, the importance of human capital has increased. Health, which is one of the components of human capital, appears as a supporting force as well as being an addition to direct investments. The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between internet use and health expenditures. Between 1968 and 2017, the data of the variables for 35 OECD countries were examined with unbalanced panel data analysis due to not being published every year. The variables of gross domestic product, out-of-pocket health expenditure, general government final consumption expenditure, tuberculosis incidence, percentage of female population aged 65 and over, percentage of male population aged 65 and over, and percentage of individuals using the internet were used as determinants of current health expenditure per capita. As a result of the study, it was determined that the increase in internet use in OECD countries increased health expenditures.