Structural effects of the information revolution on tax-funded European health systems and some potential policy responses

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Richard Saltman, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-01-09
• Publisher: BMC (part of Springer Nature)
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2019 The Author(s).
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13584-018-0284-2
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research
• ISSN: 2045-4015
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 8
• End Page: 8
• Grant/Funding Information: No funding sources for this research or manuscript.
• Keywords: Health Policy & Services; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; European health policy; Science & Technology; INSURANCE; European health systems; health systems management; Health Care Sciences & Services; IRELAND; health services reform; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; CARE REFORM; Tax-funded health systems
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Health Care Management; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

The ongoing information revolution has re-configured the policymaking arena for tax-funded health systems in Europe. A combination of constrained public revenues with rapid technological and clinical change has created a particularly demanding set of operational challenges. Tax-funded health systems face three ongoing struggles: 1) finding badly needed new public revenues despite inadequate GDP growth 2) channeling additional funds into new high-quality provider capacity 3) re-configuring the stasis-tied organizational structure and operations of existing public providers. This commentary reviews key elements of this new information-revolution-driven context, followed by a consideration of seven specific policy challenges that it creates and/or worsens for tax-funded European systems going forward.