Dermatologic clinics
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Dermatologic clinics · Apr 2000
ReviewEconomic aspect of health care systems. Advantage and disadvantage incentives in different systems.
European health care delivery systems illustrate the effect of economic incentives on health care delivery. Each country faces the issue of trying to balance the desire for economic efficiency with comprehensive, quality medical care. Without careful use of economic incentives achievable with central control, one gets to pick only two of the three desired goods--high quality, low cost, and comprehensive coverage. ⋯ A further step is to give the primary care providers financial responsibility for the costs of the follow-up care provided by others to their patients. By examining the health care systems of other countries, the potential negative impact of such an approach on the use of specialists can be seen. The negative impact of these approaches on patient care is clear when dermatologists and general practitioners are compared in the delivery of dermatologic health care.