Core subjects
The scaffolding of health care systems
All health care systems must address similar problems, which include efficiency and equity. They can be compared in terms of the nature of regulation as it creates a balance of solutions to these universal problems.
The allocation of financial risk
Balancing access to care, quality of care and the cost of care involve the distribution of financial risk among the participants in health care - patients, purchasers and providers. Finding the right balance between government regulation vs. a free-market framework is key.
The role of technological innovation
The dynamics of innovation and its diffusion into medical practice is a key driver. Increasingly efficient tools for the economic analysis of costs and benefits of technological innovation are being developed.
Improving quality in health care
Processes by which care is delivered are crucial in improving quality, reducing waste and inefficiency, controlling medical error and improving patient safety.
The role of consumers
The aging of the population is a key element in understanding both the demand for health services and the ability of countries to pay for health care. The role of consumers as the agents of demand for services is also radically changing.
Innovations in health care
Resource constraints have prompted caregivers to develop novel delivery systems like home dialysis, outpatient surgery, specialized clinics or networks. They diffuse slowly against strong gradients of professional beliefs in traditional systems.
Strategic decision-making
Efficient strategic decision-making is key to succeeding in innovation in health care. A characteristic of good decisions is that they should take into account organistional capability, support and added value.
Ethics in health care
Health care professionals are increasingly facing challenging ethical issues. This is notably the case when dealing with questions of innovation.
IT in Health Care
The strategic application of IT in Health Care reduces costs and enhances quality. Efforts are being made to introduce innovative web-based tools that reduce error, empower patients and minimize administrative costs.
Senarios for the future of health systems
Planning is a key role of public health professionals who use tools such as demography and epidemiology. In a world characterised by uncertainty, the technique of senarios can be used fruitfully to outline the most plausible futures in health care
All health care systems must address similar problems, which include efficiency and equity. They can be compared in terms of the nature of regulation as it creates a balance of solutions to these universal problems.
The allocation of financial risk
Balancing access to care, quality of care and the cost of care involve the distribution of financial risk among the participants in health care - patients, purchasers and providers. Finding the right balance between government regulation vs. a free-market framework is key.
The role of technological innovation
The dynamics of innovation and its diffusion into medical practice is a key driver. Increasingly efficient tools for the economic analysis of costs and benefits of technological innovation are being developed.
Improving quality in health care
Processes by which care is delivered are crucial in improving quality, reducing waste and inefficiency, controlling medical error and improving patient safety.
The role of consumers
The aging of the population is a key element in understanding both the demand for health services and the ability of countries to pay for health care. The role of consumers as the agents of demand for services is also radically changing.
Innovations in health care
Resource constraints have prompted caregivers to develop novel delivery systems like home dialysis, outpatient surgery, specialized clinics or networks. They diffuse slowly against strong gradients of professional beliefs in traditional systems.
Strategic decision-making
Efficient strategic decision-making is key to succeeding in innovation in health care. A characteristic of good decisions is that they should take into account organistional capability, support and added value.
Ethics in health care
Health care professionals are increasingly facing challenging ethical issues. This is notably the case when dealing with questions of innovation.
IT in Health Care
The strategic application of IT in Health Care reduces costs and enhances quality. Efforts are being made to introduce innovative web-based tools that reduce error, empower patients and minimize administrative costs.
Senarios for the future of health systems
Planning is a key role of public health professionals who use tools such as demography and epidemiology. In a world characterised by uncertainty, the technique of senarios can be used fruitfully to outline the most plausible futures in health care
