International comparisons of health care systems

  • Brommels, Mats (Participant)

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description (abstract)

The characteristics of and changes in healthcare systems are studied in a comparative framework with the aim of understanding policy formulation and decision-making as well as their effects in the healthcare arena. Studies are made on both a systemic level and by describing organizational cases. Comparisons are typically "cross-sectional", but a follow-up of reforms and organizational changes during the 1990's has enabled a developmental analysis as well. Methods used are document analysis, expert interviews and case studies (participant observations).

Activities include the following:
A comparative study of five purchasing health authorities and five provider organisations in Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom during the early years of market-imitating reforms. Despite the policy goals and content of the reforms the same kind of organizational behaviour was observed in all organisations. Differences were possible to elate to the national characteristics of the healthcare systems studied.
The programme co-ordinated the Nordic activities of the EU Clearinghouse on Health Systems Reforms (1994-97), collecting published reports and "grey literature" on reforms in EU countries. A comparative study of the Nordic countries was initiated as a by-product of the Clearinghouse.
Presently the programme takes part in a special study - started in January 1999 - of the role of markets in healthcare, commissioned by the European Union.

StatusFinished
Effective start/end date01/01/200031/12/2010

Fields of Science

  • 314 Health sciences
  • health care systems
  • 3141 Health care science
  • health care systems
  • international comparisons