The purpose of the series "e;Advances in Health Economics and Health Services Research"e; is to consider all topics in health economics and the related field of health services research. Each volume is devoted to a specific topic. Most volumes consist of between ten and twelve papers, but a few may take the form of monographs by one or more authors. All areas in the field are covered including the production of and demand for health; the demand for medical care services; the financing of these services; the markets for physicians, nurses, dentists, hospitals, and drugs; the economics of substance use; health in developing countries; and, the economics of medical technology. The series is a forum for theoretical and empirical research. The latter employ data both for developing and developed countries. While most studies focus on economic issues, contributions from other social scientists are welcomed.