Assessment of the relation between life indicators and health outcomes is a complex problem. The authors' analysis uses descriptive canonical correlation, and their solution suggests that socioeconomic factors play a major role in health outcomes. The supply of primary care physicians has a lesser but still important role: canonical correlation suggests no apparent role in enhancing health outcomes among the elderly but a larger role in improving health among the young. The authors' analysis does support the notion that specialist physician supply has no correlation with a wide range of health outcomes.
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