Public Opinion on Healthcare

Abstract

This chapter explores public opinion on healthcare from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. It critically reviews the literature surrounding public opinion on healthcare, teasing out the main concepts used—support for public healthcare provision/spending, overall evaluations of the healthcare systems, and the political salience of healthcare—while also discussing implications, gaps, and potential new research avenues. The chapter examines the operationalization of these key measures in large-scale survey items and compares trends in Europe over time. While Europeans mostly agree that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure adequate healthcare, there is much more regional variation when it comes to satisfaction with healthcare systems, and their political salience. The chapter concludes by arguing for the need to further examine the link between these key public opinion measures and their impact on health policy reform.

Comparative research on health and health care

“…Public opinion data do not only show how health-care systems are perceived and evaluated but also reflect norms and values such as solidarity institutionalized in health-care systems (Immergut & Schneider, 2020). Burlacu and Roescu (2021) find the highest levels of solidarity in low-performing as well as in universal and generous health-care systems. But in contrast to the latter, low-performing health-care systems result in lower satisfaction.…”