Transforming health policy and services: Challenges for comparative research

Abstract

This paper presents different models that describe health determinants, services, and systems. It highlights the important model developed by Contandriopoulos, proposing a separation between the health status and health care circuits. The article is intended as a contribution to the field of comparative analysis with a new theoretical, methodological, and evaluative approach. Problems were identified in the development of a new model. Decentralization and access are introduced as categories, suggesting that they may take part in such new model. Resumo O artigo apresenta os diferentes modelos propostos para descrever os determinantes de saúde, os serviços de saúde ou o sistema de saúde em geral. Aponta como promissor o modelo de-senvolvido por Contandriopoulos, que propõe a separação entre circuito de estado de saúde e circuito de atenção à saúde. Coloca-se na perspectiva de contribuir, no campo da análise compa-rada, com um novo aporte teórico, metodológico e avaliativo, explicitando a existência de pro-blemas e encruzilhadas na tarefa de construir e operacionalizar um novo modelo. São introdu-zidas as categorias descentralização e acesso, sugerindo-se que possam compô-lo.

“A manager in the minds of doctors:” a comparison of new modes of control in European hospitals

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Curable or treatable? The implications of different definitions of illness when treating patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

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