OECD health-care systems confront the dual challenge of containing costs and maximising the health of their populations. The effectiveness of health-care provision in fostering longer and healthier lives is therefore of fundamental importance. In order to respond to these challenges, policy...

<OL><LI>Two of the most important questions facing health policy makers in OECD countries are: <OL><LI>whether the increasing sums of money devoted to health care are yielding commensurate value in terms of improvements in health status; and</LI> <LI>whether different ways of financing and delivering health care -and,...</li></li></ol></li></ol>

Two of the most important questions facing health policy makers in OECD countries are: whether the increasing sums of money devoted to health care are yielding commensurate value in terms of improvements in health status; and whether different ways of financing and delivering health care -and,...

There is growing interest in improving the performance of health systems in OECD countries. Many countries are developing initiatives to measure performance to guide and inform the improvement process. Indeed, measurement and improvement are increasingly linked, as is indicated by familiar...