L15- Resource allocation and health economics Flashcards
NHS is in crisis due to
budget cuts
- must make hard decisions with regards to where money is spent
priority setting describes
decisions about the allocation of resources between the competing claims of different services, different patient groups or different elements of care
rationing describeds
the effect of those decisions on individual patients, that is, the extent to which patients receive less than the best possible treatment as a result
why set priorities
- Resources are scarce and could be used in many ways
- Demand outweighs supply
- Difficult decisions have to be made
demand driven by
changing demographics
changing demographics
- Number of over 75s is rising
- 60% of over 65s have LTC
- Increased incidence and prevalence of cancer
ethics
need to be clear and explicit about what we are trying to achieve and who benefits from
public expenditure
two forms of rationing
explicit rationing
implicit rationing
explicit rationing
the use of institutional procedures for the systematic allocation of resources within health care system
with explicit rationing the decisions are made by an
administrative authority as to the amounts and types of resources to be made available, eligible populations
simple explicit rationing
specific rules for allocations
positives of explicit rationing
- transparent
- accountable
- opportunity for debate
- evidence based
- more opportunities for equity in decision-making
negative of explicit rationing
- very complex
- heterogeneity of patients and illnesses
- patient and professional hostility
- impact on clinical freedom
- patient distress
implicit rationing
is the allocation of resources through individual clinical decisions without the criteria for those decisions being explicit
with implicit rationing discretionary decisions are made by
managers, professionals, and other health personnel functioning within a fixed budgetary allowance
weaknesses of implicit rationing
- Can lead to inequities and discrimination
- Open to abuse
- Decisions based on perceptions of social deservingness
- Doctor appear increasingly unwilling to do it
o e.g. Dr deciding not to give treatment of someone they don’t think worthy e.g. a criminal
NICE stands for
national institute of health and care excellence
NICE was set up to
to enable evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness to be integrated to inform a national judgement on the value of a treatment relative to alternative uses of resources
NICE provides guidance on
whether treatments (new or existing) can be recommended for use in the NHS in England
NICE is asked to
• NICE is asked to appraise significant new drugs and devices to help make sure the effective and cost effective products are made available to patients quickly and to minimise variations in the availability of treatments
people dont like NICE because
- controversial role inr elation to expensive treatments
- ## if not approved patients are effectively denied access to them
if drug is approved by NICE
NHS mist fund them- with adverse consequences for other priorities
scaricity
need outstrips resources. Prioritisation is inevitable