ALLOCATING HEALTH CARE RESOURCES IN CANADA

There is increased focus, both in Canada and
internationally, on the processes by which health
care resources are allocated. This study examines a
set of resource allocation decisions to determine how
these decisions are currently being made.
Specifically, the project examines how decisions
involving endovascular coiling, MRIs, and powered
upper limb prostheses are made in three Canadian
provinces: Alberta, Newfoundland, and Saskatchewan.
The project found that because the processes for
allocating resources are often developed through and
in response to the unique history and culture of the
institutions in question, it is difficult to develop
decision aids that are applicable over a wide range
of sites. Maintaining established and familiar
processes, even those not consistent with the types
of decision aids recommended in the academic
literature, may be the most efficient way of
allocating resources for many organizations. The
main implication of these conclusions is that
improving the processes for allocating health care
resources will likely require more institutionally-
specific and area-of-care-specific reforms.

Autorentext

holds PhD in Medicine and a MA in Philosophy fromMemorial University of Newfoundland. He is currently a CHSRF-CIHR postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Health Policy,Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto and in theCancer Services and Policy Research Unit at Cancer Care Ontario.

Klappentext

There is increased focus, both in Canada andinternationally, on the processes by which healthcare resources are allocated. This study examines aset of resource allocation decisions to determine howthese decisions are currently being made. Specifically, the project examines how decisionsinvolving endovascular coiling, MRIs, and poweredupper limb prostheses are made in three Canadianprovinces: Alberta, Newfoundland, and Saskatchewan. The project found that because the processes forallocating resources are often developed through andin response to the unique history and culture of theinstitutions in question, it is difficult to developdecision aids that are applicable over a wide rangeof sites. Maintaining established and familiarprocesses, even those not consistent with the typesof decision aids recommended in the academicliterature, may be the most efficient way ofallocating resources for many organizations. Themain implication of these conclusions is thatimproving the processes for allocating health care resources will likely require more institutionally-specific and area-of-care-specific reforms.