Health-care systems and demands

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

1994

Abstract

Economics is concerned with the way that scarce resources are allocated. Health economics uses concepts, theories and tools to analyse how resources are allocated in the healthcare industry, why they are so allocated, whether the existing pattern of resource allocation is optimal, and what changes can be made in the organization, financing and delivery of health services which could yield greater benefits to individuals and society at large.

This chapter does not attempt to cover all of the topics. Instead, it applies economic principles to analyse a few key issues in health care and primary health care that have important implications for primary health-care providers, government and consumers in Hong Kong and other Asia-Pacific regions with similar financing and delivery patterns. First it discusses the question of the type of health-care and their relations with health-care spending and health status of their residents. It then provide an analysis of the demand for primary health-care services and health insurance. Lastly, it tackles the issues of health care cost containment...

Source Publication

Principles and Practice of Primary Care and Family Medicine: Asia-Pacific Perspectives

First Page

74

Last Page

89

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS