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Abstract. The spatial availability of information as a determinant of consumer choice and export sales is analyzed along with other spatial-economic determinants of export competition. A spatial interaction framework is applied to two alternative specifications; a pair-wise model of information dominance and a spatially dispersed information model for consumers located in different market areas. Model estimates of the role of spatial availability of information, market power, distance, and population demand thresholds on export sales are based on national data from The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. The regional application is for Medicare health exports from the Seattle hospital market to markets throughout the state of Washington. Information availability increases export sales of hospital Medicare services with the strongest impact occurring for the pair-wise model of information dominance. The spatially dispersed information model shows a smaller and less significant impact of information availability on export sales. Distance between Seattle and export markets has a strong, negative effect on export sales and on intra-regional patient mobility. Market power within the Seattle center exerts a positive impact on sales and mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the spatial availability of information and its impact on spatial-economic interactions, as measured by export sales and consumer trips to competing regional centres. The spatial interactions are applied to Medicare hospital services and patient mobility among market areas. A monopolistically competitive structure is developed within a competing central-place, spatial-interaction framework. Model estimates based on national data examine the determinants of Medicare health-care exports from the supply centres of Seattle and Portland to markets throughout the Pacific-Northwest states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington. Entropy measures of the uncertainty of specialised medical information in contested areas show that more certain information in origin supply centres relative to destination demand nodes has a positive effect on the attraction of patients and on the receipt of Medicare revenue. Distance to origin supply centres has a strong negative effect on export sales and on patient travel from other areas. Hospital shares of revenue in the local supply centre have a significant positive effect on export sales of hospital Medicare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the spatial economic determinants of export competition in regional health care markets and facilities for Medicare inpatient services in Seattle, Washington. Analysis of the spatial availability of information, market power, distance, demand threshold, and inter-regional market variables.

Analyzes the regional employment cycles, demand for skilled and unskilled labor and process innovations in the context of an industry product cycle. Spatial decentralization of production facilities; Association of product cycle to employment cycles; Outline of price system for output in terms of wages and profits over the product cycle.

The article presents a state and local policy perspective on program coordination in the employment service in the U.S. The evolution of coordination criteria is related to current initiatives in the Employment Service at the state and local levels. An operational set of program outcome measures for monitoring coordination efforts is discussed. This set of outcome measures is formulated in the broad context of stabilizing employment and averting the "structuralization" of unemployment impacts wrought by fundamental economic change in the labor market. The assessment and monitoring of such coordination efforts is discussed.