Table 5 Benefits of combined approach for measuring equity in health outcomes and intervention exposure

Challenging to assess programmatic significance of a statistically significant concentration index

Threshold still unknown, but more data provided to understand programmatic significance, so equity and progress towards program goals can be measured simultaneously

Cannot detect non-linear outcomes

Graphical analyses of quintiles show non-linear differences in outcomes

Does not indicate which proportion of population outcome or if outcome is high or low

Wealth quintile graphs show levels of outcome in population

Does not indicate how the wealth distribution of the sample compares with the national population

Use of standard asset list and DHS data as reference population shows wealth distribution relative to broader population

Challenging to do longitudinal, multi-country, or multi-outcome comparisons

Concentration index as a summary number enables statistical comparisons between multiple datasets

Does not give a conclusive determination of equity

Provides a numerical estimate of equity with statistical significance, with the stratification by wealth quintile providing a comprehensive and nuanced equity assessment of the outcome measure