The latest volume of Health Policy Developments analyzes the efforts that countries undertake to ensure and regulate access to health care services. Equity, financial fairness, and quality concerns are addressed, as are obstacles to access such as regional and cultural patterns.
This volume also looks into the ongoing reform efforts on the provider side. Primary care ranks high on the health policy agenda in many countries, as does the search for more appropriate ways of organizing health care delivery in terms of quality, efficiency, and responsiveness to patients’ needs.
For the first time, health policy reports from Israel are included, detailing the country’s experiences with quality measurement and copayments. The Newsflash chapter follows up on issues from earlier survey rounds.
The International Network Health Policy and Reform aims to narrow the gap between health services research and health policy. Network partners are research institutions and health policy experts from 17 industrialized countries.