Loading...
Health systems and commercialisation
Koivusalo, Meri Mackintosh, Maureen
Koivusalo, Meri
Mackintosh, Maureen
Author(s)
Contributor(s)
Keywords
GE Subjects
Collections
Files
Loading...
koivmack.pdf
Adobe PDF, 615.32 KB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Online Access
Abstract
"Health policies reflect, and have always reflected, values, culture and policy priorities in different countries. The analysis of health policies therefore necessarily brings together sociological and political understanding and more technical evidence with insights from epidemiology, clinical medicine and economics. However, in the world at present, health policy analysis has come to take a particular predominant form: the analysis of health care as an economic sector of health service provision plus a set of managerial evaluation techniques for analysing health care inputs and outcomes. The fragmentation engendered by this dual approach is often reinforced by a division within the institutions of health policy analysis between those whose interests and expertise lie in health protection and public health policies, and those whose ‘lens’ is the analysis of health care perceived a market-provided service. This dominant ‘common sense’1 of health policy then perpetuates fragmentation through a policy framework that allocates public health measures to a limited policy sphere of ‘public goods’ while framing health services as a sector of market trading: these are the ‘sophisticated methodologies’ Imrana Qadeer is referring to above. We argue below, drawing on both new research and existing evidence, that this dominant common sense in health policy is in certain ways both incoherent and damaging. However our aim is primarily constructive rather than destructive. It is well understood that a properly functioning health system is essential to an effective market economy. To make a health system work in a market economy, however, does not imply simply the commercialisation of the health care sector itself. It requires rather a different starting point for health policy. This alternative starting point has traditionally been articulated as part of a health systems approach. It recognises the importance of values. It also acknowledges the existence of market failures in health systems. It draws on economic analysis of health care financing and economic assessment of health care systems as a whole. But it draws also on public health and medical knowledge concerning the needs and problems that health systems have to deal with. Our ambition with this paper and the project to which it relates is nothing less than to provide the outline of such an improved ‘common sense’, as a foundation for better analysis and practice in health systems and health policy design."(pg 3)
Note(s)
Topic
Type
Preprint
Date
2004-03
Identifier
ISBN
DOI
Copyright/License
With permission of the license/copyright holder