Resource scarcity is the raison d'être for the discipline of economics. Thus, the primary purpose of economic analysis is to help decision-makers when addressing problems arising due to the scarcity problem. The research reported here was concerned with how cost-effectiveness information is...

Purpose: Current conditions have intensified the need for health systems to engage in the difficult task of priority setting. As the search for a “magic bullet” is replaced by an appreciation for the interplay between evidence, interests, culture, and outcomes, progress in relation to these...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the claims made for the clinical microsystems approach of healthcare improvement within an English NHS context. Design/methodology/approach – The research adopted a Realistic Evaluation approach to examine a series of pilot clinical...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the findings of this special issue and discusses the future challenges for policy, research and society. The findings suggest that challenges emerge as a result of legitimacy deficits of both consensus and contestatory modes of public...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to take forward consideration of context in health care priority setting and to offer some practical strategies for priority setters to increase receptiveness to their work. Design/methodology/approach – A number of tools and methods have been devised...

Purpose – The aims of this paper are to explore the experiences of budget holders within the English National Health Service (NHS), in their attempts to implement programmes of disinvestment, and to consider factors which influence the success (or otherwise) of this activity....

In a context of ever increasing demand, the recent economic downturn has placed further pressure on decision-makers to effectively target healthcare resources. Over recent years there has been a push to develop more explicit evidence-based priority-setting processes, which aim to be transparent...

The economic downturn is placing increasing pressure on the financing of health care. For many health care providers, this means difficult decisions need to be made over what will and will not be funded. The NHS has not typically been good at decommissioning and disinvesting in services. The...