Healthcare: Evaluation Flashcards
(25 cards)
What makes it difficult to compare healthcare models internationally?
Different countries have varying preferences and health inputs beyond expenditure, making comparisons complex.
What five performance measures are used in the Commonwealth Fund report?
Care process, access & equity, administrative efficiency, outcomes, and overall performance.
Which country ranks lowest on healthcare system performance in the Commonwealth Fund (2024)?
The United States.
What does Exhibit 4 in the Commonwealth Fund report show?
That high healthcare spending does not always correlate with high system performance.
What is one key finding of the 2018 ‘How Good is the NHS?’ report?
The UK performs well on access but poorly on cancer survival rates due to low spending.
What is a major equity strength of the Beveridge and Bismarck models?
They protect against large financial losses and ensure universal coverage.
What factor may explain lower NHS performance outcomes?
Lower levels of staff and technology compared to countries like France and Germany.
What did Lord Darzi’s 2024 report highlight about the NHS?
Decline in health status, record low satisfaction, and broken gatekeeper function.
What is the inverse care law?
Healthcare availability is inversely related to need, especially in market-based systems.
How does poverty exacerbate NHS waiting times?
Poorer patients face delayed intervention due to linked issues like diet, housing, and income stress.
What argument does Layard and Appleby (2017) make?
They suggest a hypothecated tax for the NHS could better align with public preferences.
What is a risk of using dedicated taxes for healthcare?
They are more sensitive to macroeconomic cycles and less popular among the public.
What does the market-based approach in healthcare aim to achieve?
Improved quality and efficiency through competition.
What is a counterargument to market-based healthcare?
Overinvestment in marginally beneficial technology and reduced patient price sensitivity (third-party problem).
What role can managed care play in market systems?
Plans like HMOs and Medicaid can reduce prices by negotiating on behalf of patients.
What concern arises from hospital mergers in the US?
They enable non-competitive pricing, harming efficiency.
How does the UK’s spending compare to Bismarck systems?
It is lower, potentially contributing to staffing and technology shortfalls.
Why are externalities important in healthcare?
A healthy workforce yields societal benefits, such as higher productivity and lower public costs.
What is the link between income inequality and health outcomes?
Greater inequality reduces the quality of housing, diet, and stress, worsening health.
What is the NHS’s current productivity trend according to Lord Darzi?
Employment has increased, but productivity has declined due to underinvestment.
What does ‘access and equity’ refer to in healthcare evaluation?
The extent to which cost and income affect people’s ability to obtain care.
What are ‘normalized indicators’ in the Commonwealth Fund study?
Standardized scores comparing countries to a nine-country average, excluding the US.
What does administrative efficiency measure?
Time and cost involved in managing medical billing and disputes.
What structural feature protects equity in the NHS?
Universality and absence of actuarial premiums ensure broad access without income-based pricing.
