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Efficiency and Equity

Welfare, efficiency, equity and possible conflicts; inequal-
ity and the socio-economic ‘gradient’; evaluating efficiency at system level: international comparisons in the developed world; techniques for measuring equity and inequity; evaluat- ing equity at system level: equity in financing arrangements; evaluating equity at system level: equity in service access and delivery; evaluating equity at system level: equity in the dis- tribution of health; institutional arrangements for efficiency and equity; implications for health care financing and delivery systems in the developed world; centralization and decentral- ization in health care; the role and regulation of markets in developed countries.

Are we estimating the effects of health care expenditure correctly?

It is a contentious issue in philosophy whether an omission can be the cause of an event. At the very least it seems we should consider causation by omission differently from ‘ordinary’ causation. Consider Sarah McGrath’s example. Billy promised Alice to… Read More »Are we estimating the effects of health care expenditure correctly?

You won’t believe what these NHS productivity statistics mean for health policy!

Newly published research from Chris Bojke and co-authors estimates productivity growth in the NHS from 1998/1999 to 2013/2014. Total output of the NHS comprises both the volume of various services and their quality while inputs are approximated by total expenditure.… Read More »You won’t believe what these NHS productivity statistics mean for health policy!

Do we really need to change the cost-effectiveness threshold?

The cost-effectiveness threshold utilised by health technology assessment agencies, such as NICE in the United Kingdom, below which new medical technologies and interventions are considered cost-effective, is frequently discussed. NICE currently use a threshold of £20,000 to £30,000 per quality… Read More »Do we really need to change the cost-effectiveness threshold?

The potential of the super QALY to reconcile the key contentions in health economics

Economics is largely about trade-offs and compromise. Academics study the former but don’t often engage in the latter. In health economics, as in other fields, a key trade-off is between equity and efficiency. We’ve been studying this for a.very.long.time. Despite this, as… Read More »The potential of the super QALY to reconcile the key contentions in health economics