Class 7 - Health care economics Flashcards
Define health care economics
the study of supply and demand of resources and it’s affect on the allocation of healthcare resources in an economic system
What are the concept categories within health care economics
- availability of resources
- health care financing
- utilization of resources
poor resource access can result in what?
disparities
significant differences (disparities) are seen among populations based on:
- race and ethnicity
- socioeconomic status
- geographic regions
What resources are included for the delivery of high-quality services
- people, time, and talent
- land, buildings, and equipment
- knowledge of how to combine these resources
What is utilization of resources
- the concern with efficiency and distribution
- link to access
- is greatest among individuals with multimorbid chronic conditions
What are the attributes of health care economics
- cost effectiveness
- efficiency
- value
Health care economics attributes, cost effectiveness
- efficient and equitable decisions are made about the allocation of resources
- A combination of the seller’s production costs plus an additional increment that represents the seller’s profit
Health care economics attributes, efficiency
- determined by how resources are used
- can be thought of as avoiding waste (including waste of equipment, supplies, and people) or as using healthcare resources to get the best value for the money
Health care economics attributes, value
- health outcomes achieved per dollar spent
- remains largely unmeasured and misunderstood
HCE attributes, relations
↑ value + not cost efficient = ↓ efficiency = less sustainable
↑ value + cost efficient = ↑ efficiency
Why should nurses care about health care economics
- Nurses often learn issues that directly affect their patients and discharge (insufficient resources to pay out-of-pocket costs or to purchase medications)
- constant concern for cheating efficiencies in practice, reducing unnecessary waste, and working together to reduce the costs of care
Where does money come from to pay for health care in Canada
tax and equalization payments
Evolution of healthcare system, pre WWII
- privately delivered and funded
- hospital were avoided
- government involved in sanitation and quarantine (infectious disease)
- physicians had high social and financial standing
- Great Depression: unemployment rate 30%
Evolution of healthcare system, post WWII
- 1947, Sask did province wide universal hospital care plan
- 1957, Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Services Act involved diagnostic and hospital services (50/50 cost sharing model)
- 1961, all 10 provinces participates in Hospital Insurance Diagnostic Plan Act
- 1962, Sask Medical Insurance Act - universal, provincial insurance plan to all Sask residents
- Sask docs strike, 23 days
- 1966 Federal government passes Medical Care Act - feds pay 1/2 province costs