European health care systems are facing diverse challenges. In health policy, strong primary care is seen as key to deal with these challenges. European countries differ in how strong their primary care systems are. Two groups of traditionally weak primary care systems are distinguished. First a...

Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess the impact of CEDIT (French Committee for the Assessment and Dissemination of Technological Innovations) recommendations on the introduction of technological innovations within the AP-HP (Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris), the French...

Imipeneme, a molecule chemically related to the carbapenems (beta-lactam), is a potent wide spectrum antibiotic reserved for hospital use. Effective as therapy for major infections, and for use in severely debilitated patients (immunodepressed, etc...) its efficacy in the treatment of...

Hospital heterogeneity is a major issue in defining a reimbursement system. If hospitals are heterogeneous, it is difficult to distinguish which part of the differences in costs is due to cost containment efforts and which part cannot be reduced, because it is due to other unobserved sources of...