Chapter 13 (Health And Social Care Policies)

Question 1

3 Policy Instruments
-INSTUMENT+PURPOSE+EXAMPLE-

Answer 1

1. Legislation
   (Purpose)
   - To use government authority to ensure citizens’ compliance to the policy
   (E.g. The Air Pollution Control Ordinance to control the emissions from various sources. (e.g.construction activities))
   (E.g. Disability Discrimination Ordinance - to ensure fair treatment in employment)
2. Taxation / economic incentive
   (Purpose)
   - To encourage compliance by using economic incentives
   (E.g. Tax on imported vehicles to discourage the use of vehicles through price increases)
   (E.g. Wage subsidy - to encourage employers to employ so as to increase employment opportunities)
   (E.g. Job attachment allowance - to encourage the involvement and attendance)
3. Promotion/ education
   (Purpose)
   - To develop relevant capacity to achieve policy aim
   (E.g. TV advertisement / publicity campaign to promote the message of switching off engines of idling vehicles)
   (E.g. Build a culture of acceptance and positive social relationships)
   (E.g. Employment trainings - to provide training to equip skills to improve/motivate in seeking jobs)

Question 2

Factors leading to the differences in polices in different countries

Answer 2

• Local economy – economic conditions affect the amount of resources to be allocated
• Global economy and world financial organisations e.g. World Bank
• Private-public debates and tensions e.g. privatization of health and care services
• Social value and political concerns e.g. smoking policy
• Cultural understandings of health and social care and its implication on policies

Question 3

Demands for new policies
-WHY+TO-

Answer 3

Why:
- Changing needs of individuals, families and communities
- Increasing demand for services
- Demographic changes and the implications for the needs of care services
(E.g. birth and death rate/ ageing population/ increasing health and care expenditure)
To:
- Improving effectiveness or efficiency
- Reducing inequalities

Question 4

5 Process and Cycle of Public Policy Making

Answer 4

1. Identification: problem / need
2. Formulation: to assess possible outcomes to anticipate consequences of the policies
3. Adoption: recommend to the public and policy makers for selection
4. Implementation: implement the policy
5. Evaluation: should be maintained, reformed or terminated or not

Question 5

Tensions among different institutions
-TENSIONS+PROBLEMS+SOLUTIONS-

Answer 5

Tensions:
- Competing for clients or resources
- Different visions, expectations and perspectives during the collaborations

Resultant crisis in service delivery:
- Quality of services decline/ malpractice
- Ineffective use or waste of resources
- Health and social care policies not endorsed due to political disagreements

Possible solutions:
- develop relevant policies to cultivate partnership and collaboration among institutions

Question 6

Cultural disagreements

Answer 6

Contrasting Chinese and Western cultural understandings of health and illness
(E.g. health consciousness, different attitudes towards seeking helps for health and social needs)

Question 7

Political disagreement

Answer 7

The debates conflicts between the roles of the individuals (private sector) and the public or government in the provision of social care and health services responsibility of the government
Example:
- Medical charges
- Competitive or complementary roles between the public sector and the private sector
- Privatisation