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Rational planning for health care delivery : aspects of supply, demand, and evaluation

University of British Columbia

Rational planning for the delivery of health care services is the primary concern of this thesis. Various aspects of the demand for, and the supply and characteristics of these services are discussed, since an understanding of these topics is essential to rational planning. Chapter I examines the relative importance of the influences of health care services, socio-economic structures and life styles on individual and societal health status. Various criteria for the evaluation of health care services and for the allocation of societal resources between health care services and other social services influencing health and well-being are discussed. Chapter II deals with consumer behaviour and the demand for medical services. This discussion entails Individual perception of medical needs, factors influencing health knowledge, sources and effectiveness of health information dissemination, and various factors which inhibit utilization. Chapter III is concerned with the supply of health care services, their financing and interrelationships. In particular, the role, characteristics, and costs of physician and hospital services are examined. Chapter IV discusses the resolution of supply and demand with an emphasis on financial considerations and the organizational arrangements between the various components of supply. Chapter V reviews and discusses some of the major problems of various techniques which have been employed to forecast future health care service requirements. Various aspects of future modes of health care delivery are discussed. Chapter VI presents a simulation model which may be used as an aid in regional planning of health care services. Chapter VII illustrates several results for various simulated conditions and strategies. Chapter VIII suggests future improvements to the simulation model and describes several possible experiments which are being planned.

Text

2011-04-08

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/33447

Business Administration

University of British Columbia

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