Health policy
-
To describe and evaluate the different price control strategies implemented in Norway after its accession to the European Economic Area (1994-2004). ⋯ The direct pricing strategy, i.e. the international reference pricing, was considered to be the most successful method. In contrast, due to the unpredictability of the market situation, the resulting effects of the indirect methods, i.e. reference-based pricing, generic substitution, and index pricing, were more limited.
-
The political use of poll results about public support for a privatized healthcare system in Canada.
Within the context of the political debate on privatization of healthcare funding in Canada, this paper examines the nature and the various role of polls. ⋯ We then discuss those results to argue that polls are not only used to represent the public's preferences but are also political tools used to shape those preferences.
-
This study aimed to explore the associations between chronic care organisation and physician workload in primary care. ⋯ Practice size rather than chronic care organisation determined physician workload. Larger practices might use physicians' time more efficiently compared to small practices, but reduced quality of care in larger practices could be an alternative interpretation of the findings.
-
Seed grant programs have been suggested as an innovative way to launch new initiatives. We evaluated one such program designed to stimulate cancer research in a state with little to moderate cancer research activity. Success was defined as the ability of seed grant recipients to develop proposals, obtain external funding and publish the results of cancer-related research. ⋯ Seed grants for pilot projects inexpensively and efficiently built cancer research capacity in a state with historically low levels of national cancer research funding. As our findings are based on a single case study, we cannot state that this strategy would succeed for other states in similar circumstances.
-
This review aims to bring together current evidence on the impact of chronic pain in terms of its economic costs, cost to healthcare services and benefit agencies, and quality of life, and to discuss the implications of this for government policies. Quantifying the burden and cost of pain is challenging due to its multi-factorial nature and wide reaching effects. Nonetheless, there is a consensus that chronic pain has a significant impact on levels of resources across society and on quality of life. ⋯ Although effective pain management interventions and programmes exist, provision of these services is inconsistent, and chronic pain is not given the priority it requires in view of the extent of its burden on individuals and society. Current relevant government policies in U. K. are discussed to highlight the need to prioritise pain and adopt a whole-systems approach to its management if governments are to successfully reduce its cost and burden.