Topic > Providing cost-effective health services - 1296

In recent years, governments have been looking for ways to provide equitable, efficient and cost-effective health services to maintain and improve their health systems (WHO, 2004). The goal of equal access to healthcare for all population groups is the common goal of many healthcare systems. The Australian healthcare system provides resources on equal access to a mixed system of private and public funding that covers the entire population. As Palmer and Torgerson (1999) pointed out, health care decision makers face the growing challenges of growing demand for health services with limited funding. While economists argued that achieving greater efficiency with reasonable resources should be the first principle for priority processes (Palmer & Torgerson, 1999). Furthermore, Sreenivasan (2007) stated that the rationale of equality of opportunity for universal access to healthcare refers to it as the individual's fair share of opportunity. This document addresses the definitions of equity, efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare. He discussed the interactions between these three concepts and noted how to drive measurement and accountability; also discussed the practical importance of clarity in defining this concept, in terms of implications for both policy and measurement. Equity According to Starfield (2006), equity in health is defined as “differences in health that are not only unnecessary and avoidable, but also considered unfair and unjust,” and indicated that “injustice” and “injustice ” can be measured by certain interventions. However, Braveman and Gruskin (2003) have adopted other interpretations of the concept of equity. They examined that the concept of health equity focuses… in the middle of the document… in line with reasonable patient expectations and contemporary professional standards of care, reflecting both social and professional norms. Campbell (2000) summarized that care is described as evidence-based only when there is good scientific evidence of a link between process and outcome. In order to provide cost-effective healthcare for different social groups, the impertinence of reallocating limited resources must be highlighted across several priorities. As stated by BLaxter (1996), inputs are as important as outputs in terms of population demand, therefore resources should be moved efficiently towards subgroups that indicate the greatest potential for improved health outcome (Blaxter, 1996). Furthermore, it is a community choice to decide where resources should be allocated to particular disadvantaged groups within a society.