This article provides highlights of the evolution of the health care rationing debate towards a more transparent and open approach involving public participation. Discretionary models that have dominated health sector decision-making are being questioned by different sectors of society. Using...

This study analyzes public attitudes towards environmental tobacco smoking (ETS) risks. ETS legislation and smoking behaviors using recent data from Special Eurobarometer 272 that is a unique database on public perception of ETS. Some major conclusions are drawn: (1) both smokers and non-smokers...

This paper examines the degree of socioeconomic related inequalities in mathematics achievement for students from the European Union and presents some possible sources for the exhibited differences between countries. We applied a methodology which has been used in health economics literature...

Aim: This study estimates alcohol attributable fractions which are used to obtain a measure of health expenditures related to alcohol misuse in Portugal. Methods and Sources: Studies estimating alcohol-attributable expenditures focus usually on specific diseases or conditions. This study takes a...

We conduct laboratory experiments in Timor-Leste designed to test if individual discount rates vary with the time horizon for which the rate is elicited. Our experiments test a design that has been successfully employed in field experiments in developed countries, and that avoids several...

There is accumulated evidence of the existence of a deleterious effect of smoking on birth outcomes. Understanding the effect of smoking on pregnancy is a critical issue because of the public policy implications for dissuading maternal smoking. We explore this issue by using the propensity score...

The Portuguese health care system is based on principles of equity and efficiency. Despite that, it appears that equality has not been fully realized owing to differences in access [Dixon and Massialos (2000)] or self-assessed health [Van Doorslaer and Koolman (2004)]. The purpose of this study...

To examine how the introduction of free eye examinations in Scotland affected people's use of eye care services. Particularly, to assess if more people are now having their eyes examined regularly, and whether there are differences in the way people responded to the policy across socio-economic...

Healthcare units generate substantial amounts of hazardous or potentially hazardous wastes as by-products of their medical services. The inappropriate management of these wastes poses significant risks to people and the environment. In Portugal, as in other EU countries, the collection, storage,...