Innovations in Medical Care and Socio-Economic Health Disparities in Childhood

Socio-economic disparities in health emerge early in life, yet the role of medical innovations in shaping these disparities remains underexplored. This paper examines how the introduction of insulin pumps for treating Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in children affects socio-economic health disparities in Denmark. The study leverages Danish administrative data, which allow for precise matching of children to their parents’ socio-economic status and detailed tracking of health outcomes. By focusing on childhood-onset T1D—a condition unrelated to parental socio-economic status in Denmark—this analysis provides a quasi-experimental setting to assess the adoption and impact of insulin pump therapy. The universal healthcare system and zero out-of-pocket costs for insulin pumps further allow us to isolate socio-economic differences in uptake from financial constraints. Our findings contribute to understanding whether medical innovations reinforce or mitigate socio-economic health inequalities in childhood.