A New Year, the top research articles, and a call to deliver a “net zero” Australian health care system by 2040

The main argument of this paper is that because the burden of diseases increases with age, a greater numbers of older individuals will increase the demand for health care, and whether this demand will be met very much depends on how health care systems are governed. This task is particularly complex in jurisdictions with multi-layer governing systems such as the Australian health care system. Governance, described in terms of stewardship of the well-being of the population and as a central component for building effective health care systems, is increasingly considered to be very important for a well performing health care system (World Health Organization, 2000, 2007). Governance is, however, the least studied function in a health care system (Alliance 2009). Furthermore, the limited governance frameworks and assessments that have been developed thus far fail to include the political context in which health care systems operate (Baez-Camargo and Jacobs, 2011). This paper intends to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the political dynamics of the Australian health care system’s governance and its accountability. Furthering the discourse on governance is especially important in times when health care systems are confronted with the challenges of ageing populations

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Book Review: The Australian health care system

Australian Health Review ◽

10.1071/ah080371 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 371

Author(s):

Gary Day

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care System ◽

Health Workforce ◽

Health Financing ◽

Good Health ◽

Australian Health ◽

The Future ◽

Reflective Questions ◽

Key Aspects ◽

Care System

THIS IS THE THIRD edition of one of the seminal local texts on the Australian health care system. Over the last seven years, this text has proved a basis for helping students, casual readers and health professionals understand Australia?s sometimes difficult to understand health care system. The text is divided into ten chapters that deal with key aspects of Australia?s health care system, namely: � Frameworks for analysis � The Australian population and its health � Financing health care � The health workforce � Departmental and intergovernmental structures � Hospitals � Public health � Primary and community care � Pharmaceuticals � Policy challenges for the Australian health care system. There are several key reasons why this text has been widely used in the past and will continue to be of value well into the future. The author has been able to accurately describe the complexities of the Australian health care system in an easily digestible way. This is a feat in itself and worthy of praise. There is an appropriate use of tables and figures to support the written content. Finally, the author provides excellent conclusions that bring together the salient points and issues in each chapter. The publisher promotes that this edition includes new material on health workforce, patient safety and medical and health insurance. The Australian health care system delivers on this claim, providing useful insights and a deeper understanding of the issues that confront the future direction and delivery of health services in this country. This text is a useful addition to any library as well as a staple for students needing to more clearly understand the complexities and challenges of the Australian health care system. My only suggestion is that the text could have been enhanced by the inclusion of revision or reflective questions at the end of each chapter. In summary, a must-have as part of a good health-related library.

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The Australian health care system: John Hunter's long shadow

The Medical Journal of Australia ◽

10.5694/j.1326-5377.1997.tb126676.x ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 167 (9) ◽

pp. 481-483 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

John M Duggan

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care System ◽

Australian Health ◽

Care System

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