[Socioeconomic inequalities in health care efficacy. Three examples in Lazio region].

There has been a limited number of studies in Italy investigating the relationship between socioeconomic inequalities and efficacy of treatments. This paper reviews three case studies on the association between socioeconomic status and disease outcome in the Lazio Region, Italy. The studies investigated: a) the probability of renal transplantation among patients with endstage renal disease; b) the survival of AIDS patients before and after the introduction of the new antiretroviral therapies; c) the 30-day mortality of patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The three studies demonstrate the complex relationship between socioeconomic status and both access to, and efficacy of, important health interventions.