Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
The analyses showed that hospitalization rates increased one year after the initiation of the reforms: 1.55 (95% CI: 1.24–1.86) additional hospitalizations per 1000 rural inhabitants per month (‘immediate effect’). This increase was followed by a further gradual increase of 0.034 per 1000 inhabitants per month (95% CI: 0.02–0.04). The gradual monthly increase continued for two years after the reforms. The higher hospitalization rates were maintained in the following years. We observed a significant increase in hospitalization rates at a national level in rural areas that continued for over 10 years after the policy implementation.