Unit 5 Flashcards
- describe the three levels of policy making – macro, meso and micro.
a. The macro level is usually taken to mean the national or state level of policy making. Public policies at this level are intended to address population issues and are usually the domain of governments. The power to make policies at this level (and the legitimacy to do so) comes from constitutional documents.
b. The meso level refers to institutions or health authorities.
i. These organizations are usually responsible for organizing and providing health services directly to citizens. In order to do so in an accountable manner, they need to develop and implement policies dealing with the provision of health services.
c. The micro level of decision making is usually that which takes place at the individual level.
i. This might be related, for example, to treatment or clinical policies for individual patients. In this unit, we review examples of policies at all three levels in Canada and discuss the mechanisms by which such policies can be implemented.
- describe the federal government’s role in health policy.
iv. The political executive plays a key role in the Canadian political system: the Cabinet determines all major decisions about government policy before Parliament or the legislature gives final approval.
iii. The line department (as opposed to the above central agencies) that is directly responsible for health is Health Canada. Its mission and vision are stated as follows:
4. Some of the specific health policy areas include the Canada Health Act and its implications for provincial delivery of health services; funding transfers for health services to provinces and territories; international health and health policy issues; safety of medical technologies, foods and other products sold in Canada; health of First Nations peoples; and health research.
- describe the provincial governments’ roles in health policy.
b. As described in Unit 1, the main responsibility for providing health care services to citizens of Canada rests with the provincial governments. As such, all provincial governments are responsible for establishing a variety of policies concerning health care and its delivery.
c. These policies are also considered to be macro level policies. Policy topics include funding of hospitals and health authorities, health human resources, payment of health care professionals, provision of health services, accountability of hospitals, and health authorities.
