In the framework of “Europe 2020”, European Union Member States are subject to a new system of economic monitoring and governance known as the European Semester. This paper seeks to analyse the way in which national health systems are being influenced by EU institutions through the European...

Fragmentation in organization and discontinuities in the provision of medical care are problems in all health systems, whether it is the mixed public-private one in the USA, national health services in the UK, or insurance based one in Western Europe and Russia. In all of these countries a major...

Public–private partnerships with large corporations offer potential benefits to the health sector but many concerns have been raised, highlighting the need for appropriate safeguards. In this paper we propose five tests that public policy makers may wish to apply when considering engaging in...

Many of the strategic planning studies worldwide have made recommendations to the policy makers on the steps to be taken in eliminating the perceived shortages of physician workforce or in improving their distribution and retention. Policy makers have also considered various policy interventions...

The focus of healthcare debate has in recent years shifted from doctors and healthcare professionals in general to patients and the principle of patient self-determination. Patient competence therefore plays an increasingly central role in the legal framework of many Europeans countries.

Major variations in medical practice have been documented internationally. Variations raise questions about the quality, equity, and efficiency of resource allocation and use, and have important implications for health care and health policy.

Revalidation is a significant recent regulatory policy reform from the UK General Medical Council and being considered elsewhere around the world. The policy aims to regulate licensed doctors to ensure that they are ‘up-to-date and fit-to practise’. Fundamental to the policy is that the...

Palliative care for patients with advanced illness is a subject of growing importance in health services, policy and research. In 2001 Ireland became one of the first nations to publish a dedicated national palliative care policy. This paper uses the ‘policy analysis triangle’ as a framework...

End of life care for people with advanced chronic disease is a growing international imperative, with the majority of deaths in the world now related to chronic disease. The provision of care that meets the needs of people with advanced chronic disease must be guided by appropriate policy. The...

This study is the first comparative assessment, internationally, of perceptions of generic medicines between general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists in at least the last decade.