Health care and the future of economic growth: exploring alternative perspectives

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Hensher ◽  
John Tisdell ◽  
Ben Canny ◽  
Craig Zimitat
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Health Financing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
Care Systems

AbstractThe strong and positive relationship between gross domestic product (GDP) and health expenditure is one of the most extensively explored topics in health economics. Since the global financial crisis, a variety of theories attempting to explain the slow recovery of the global economy have predicted that future economic growth will be slower than in the past. Others have increasingly questioned whether GDP growth is desirable or sustainable in the long term as evidence grows of humanity's impact on the natural environment. This paper reviews recent data on trends in global GDP growth and health expenditure. It examines a range of theories and scenarios concerning future global GDP growth prospects. It then considers the potential implications for health care systems and health financing policy of these different scenarios. In all cases, a core question concerns whether growth in GDP and/or growth in health expenditure in fact increases human health and well-being. Health care systems in low growth or ‘post-growth’ futures will need to be much more tightly focused on reducing overtreatment and low value care, reducing environmental impact, and on improving technical and allocative efficiency. This will require much more concerted policy and regulatory action to reduce industry rent-seeking behaviours.

Adult Care in Cystic Fibrosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (06) ◽  
pp. 857-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Stuart Elborn
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Adult Care ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Expanding Population ◽  
Almost All

AbstractCystic fibrosis (CF) is now more common in adults than children in countries with well-developed health care systems. The number of adults continues to increase and will further increase if the new cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators are disease modifying. Most of the complex morbidity and almost all the mortality of CF occur in adults and will increasingly follow this pattern even with new effective modulator therapies. Maintaining good quality of life including social functioning and maximizing survival for adults are the key priorities. This requires a highly knowledgeable and adaptable multidisciplinary team, which, though focused on maintaining lung health, requires an increasing range of other disciplines and specialties to maximize well-being. Changes in health care systems will require current models of care to adapt to provide care for the large number of adult patients. With increasing survival and age, many are likely to have both CF morbidities and additional diseases of aging. New models are needed for health care delivery for this expanding population with complex medical conditions.

scholarly journals Economic Crises as a Motive for Change in Health Care Systems – A Historical Perspective with Reference to the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-374
Author(s):  
Snježana Kaštelan ◽  
Martina Sopta ◽  
Milena Radonjić ◽  
Uršula Kaštelan ◽  
Boris Kasun
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
Economic Crises ◽  
Social Equality ◽  
Social Reforms ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Potential Damage

Economic crises throughout history have often given an impetus for health and social reforms leading to the introduction of general healthcare systems and social equality in a large number of countries. The aim of this paper is to present the major economic crises and their effect on healthcare and social system chronologically. Bismarck’s and Beveridge’s model, the two most prominent healthcare models, which emerged primarily as a response to major economic crises, constitute the basis for the functioning of most health care systems in the world. An overview of historical events and experiences may be valuable in predicting future developments and potential effects of the crisis on healthcare systems and health in general. An analysis of past crises as well as current health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on the healthcare system can facilitate the comprehension of the mechanisms of action and consequences of economic recession. It may also help identify guidelines and changes that might reduce the potential damage caused by future crises. The historical examples presented show that a crisis could trigger changes, which, in theiressence, are not necessarily negative. The response of society as a whole determines the direction of these changes, and it is up to society to transform the negative circumstances brought about by the recession into activities that contribute to general well-being and progress.

scholarly journals Governance of health care systems in an ageing world – the case of Australia

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 729-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Banasik
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Political ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Australian Health ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Care System

The main argument of this paper is that because the burden of diseases increases with age, a greater numbers of older individuals will increase the demand for health care, and whether this demand will be met very much depends on how health care systems are governed. This task is particularly complex in jurisdictions with multi-layer governing systems such as the Australian health care system. Governance, described in terms of stewardship of the well-being of the population and as a central component for building effective health care systems, is increasingly considered to be very important for a well performing health care system (World Health Organization, 2000, 2007). Governance is, however, the least studied function in a health care system (Alliance 2009). Furthermore, the limited governance frameworks and assessments that have been developed thus far fail to include the political context in which health care systems operate (Baez-Camargo and Jacobs, 2011). This paper intends to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the political dynamics of the Australian health care system’s governance and its accountability. Furthering the discourse on governance is especially important in times when health care systems are confronted with the challenges of ageing populations

scholarly journals Transformations and Reforms of European Health Care Systems: The Case of Estonia

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jadwiga Suchecka
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Mixed System ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
European Health ◽  
The Global Financial Crisis ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this article is to present the main directions of changes in the Estonian health care system following the transformation of the national economy and the accession of Estonia to the European Union. Special attention has been paid to the ways of sourcing, and the collection and redistribution of financial resources allocated to health care in different periods of the transformation. The initial changes introduced far-reaching decentralization of the health system, while further reforms led to his re-centralization. The intensity of the re-centralization of finance and health management processes was accelerated after 2008, when the impact of the global financial crisis on the condition of the economy of Estonia was significant. As a result of the introduced changes, Bismarck’s mixed system – a hybrid system – has been formed.

scholarly journals Integrating Marriage Education into Perinatal Education

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan J. Hawkins ◽  
Tamara Gillil ◽  
Glenda Christiaens ◽  
Jason S. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Perinatal Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Couple Relationship ◽  
Relationship Education ◽  
Couple Relationship Education ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Adults And Children

Couples making the transition to parenthood experience challenges that can threaten the quality and stability of their relationships and the health of family members. Currently, the educational infrastructure to support the delivery of couple-relationship education during the transition to parenthood is limited. Because new-parent couples interact with the health care system at many points during this transition time, an opportunity exists for strengthening couple relationships within the system to improve the well-being of adults and children. In this article, we propose a productive collaboration between marriage/couple educators and health care systems to integrate couple-relationship education into the standard of perinatal care.

scholarly journals COVID-19 financing strategies for refugees and migrants in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (12) ◽  
pp. 1229-1238
Author(s):  
Elena Habersky ◽  
Aya Damir
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Health Financing ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Internally Displaced ◽  
Care Systems

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating consequences on health care systems worldwide. While the world was slowly moving towards achieving health for all, the pandemic destroyed progress made over the past 25 years and exposed the vulnerability of health care systems and health insurance schemes as well as their lack of resilience. Heath care systems failed to respond in a timely and efficient manner, lives have been, and continue to be, lost and vulnerable populations, especially refugees and migrants, are more at risk than ever as many are left out of country vaccination programmes. Aims: The Eastern Mediterranean region hosts 13 million internally displaced persons and 12 million refugees as of 2018. Thus, adopting inclusive health financing mechanisms is crucial to addressing the crisis and protecting indigenous and displaced populations. Methods: By looking at regional best practices and the response of the United Nations, we outline possible financing tools for including refugees and migrants in health insurance schemes for COVID 19 and introduce novel solutions for addressing gaps in funding. Results: Among the suggested solutions are the inclusion of refugees and migrants in national health care systems, setting up community-based health insurance for migrant and refugee populations, as well as introducing a catastrophe bond financing scheme. Conclusions: While COVID-19 is far from over, many countries in the EMR have included migrants in their COVID-19 vaccine rollout plans. While this is not the first instance of inclusion in some countries, many others are unable or do not prioritize migrants in their health systems, to the detriment of the entire country. This paper, therefore, tackles the possible health financing measures which curb or prevent migrants from accessing such systems and presents possible solutions to change the status quo.

scholarly journals WHO GUIDELINES ON COMMUNITY-LEVEL INTERVENTIONS TO MANAGE DECLINES IN INTRINSIC CAPACITY: THE ROAD TO PREVENTION COGNITIVE DECLINE IN OLDER AGE?

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
B. Vellas ◽  
R. Scrase ◽  
G.A. Rosenberg ◽  
S. Andrieu ◽  
I. Araujo de Carvalho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Healthy Ageing ◽  
Older Age ◽  
The Road ◽  
Strategic Emphasis ◽  
Aging Program ◽  
Care Systems

The Concept of decline in “Intrinsic Capacities” (IC) from W.H.O Current Aging program (1, 2) prompts us to reposition prevention of cognitive decline and memory disorders with advancing age. In the new conceptual framework, Healthy Ageing is not defined as life free of diseases (disease can occur at any age) but, rather, as «the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age» (1). This is a significant departure from the key strategy of current health care systems that are mainly designed to identify and treat acute episodes of (and chronic) illnesses, rather than maintaining individuals’ Intrinsic Capacities IC across the life course (1). Hence, there is an urgent need to change the strategic emphasis of health care systems from focusing on acute conditions to promoting integrated care aimed at maintaining functional abilities and well-being as an effective approach to promote healthy ageing.

scholarly journals The Role of Private Health Care Financing in the Central and Eastern European Countries

Ekonomika ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Borda
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Health Care Financing ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Private Health Care ◽  
Out Of Pocket Payments ◽  
Care Systems

The economic transformation process in the central and Eastern European (CEE) countries has included, among others, a thorough reform of the previous, centrally planned health care systems. Consequently, the contemporary health care systems functioning in these countries, despite common directions of changes, vary in the area of detailed aspects. The purpose of the paper is to provide an overview of private sources of the health care financing (including out-of-pocket payments and prepaid plans), which are considered to be an important component of each health care system. In the first part of the paper, the results of comparative analysis of total health expenditure incurred by the CEE countries between 2000 and 2004 are presented in order to indicate the main trends, problems and differences among the analysed states. Next, the main types of private health expenditure are described and their contribution to the health care financing is presented. Finally, voluntary health insurance offered in the Polish market, considered as an additional method of health care financing. is characterized.The obtained results allow to compare and evaluate the range of using private health care funds in the analysed countries during the last few years. Moreover, the results indicate a need for the further development of private methods of health care financing. which in practice can supplement or duplicate health care services delivered by the public sector.

Evaluating Interventions to Promote Patient Involvement in Decision-Making: By What Criteria Should Effectiveness be Judged?

1998 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikki A Entwistle ◽  
Amanda J Sowden ◽  
Ian S Watt
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Patient Involvement ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Improve Health Status ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Health Care Options ◽  
Patient Relationships

Interventions to inform patients about health care options and to involve them in decisions about their care are now widely advocated. The question of which criteria should be used to judge the effectiveness of such interventions has, however, received little attention. The provision of research-based information about health care effectiveness to patients and the promotion of greater patient involvement in health care decision-making are likely to have a complex range of effects on: the information provided to patients; patients' acquisition of skills; patients' knowledge and emotions; how decisions are made; the quality of decisions; professional—patient relationships; the use of health care; the health of patients; satisfaction; and the organisation and cost of health services. Opinions about which effects are most important and how they should be measured and valued will be influenced by a variety of factors, including: the rationales and motives underlying interest in patient involvement in decision-making; the forms of patient involvement envisaged; and the types of interventions being considered. In the context of health care systems which aim primarily to improve health status and well-being, health outcomes should take priority over process variables such as decision-making behaviours and patients' knowledge.

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