We consider the implications of Germany's demographic development on the regional structure of rural hospital care. According to different predictions regional disparities will arise. This will lead to a legal conflict with the German constitution which demands nationwide close-to-home hospital...

OBJECTIVES: To describe factors influencing inequitable access to radiation therapy among cancer patients in Thailand by exploring the current situation and problems of both demand and supply sides after the implementation of the policy on universal coverage. The study aimed to improve...

The role of Regional Primary Care Organisations in assisting practices to increase quality is not understood. General Practitioners in Australia are predominantly paid through Medicare, the national fee-for-service scheme for doctors. From 1998, this was supplemented by the gradual introduction...

Background: Fragmented care and duplicated services have historically plagued the management of chronic conditions in the elderly, where care has focused on treating acute episodes of illness rather than chronic problems. Decisions made by the near elderly (ages 55 to 64) about the timing and...

Whereas in the United States, managed care (MC) plans have been part of the health care system for quite some time, they are still little known in European systems. In Germany in particular, policy makers would like to see a broad majority of the insured population shift to MC plans, hoping to...

Background: Several studies have shown that non-governmental health care constitutes a large and important source of health care - not least for the poor and those in hard to reach areas. Yet, the private health care sector in low-income countries remains largely unexplored. This study reports...

Alternative options in provider reimbursement schemes are being considered to reform the Turkish healthcare system. Recently a prospective payment method based on diagnosis-related groups is offered as a reimbursement alternative for inpatient treatments. Since hospitals have the largest share...

The financial performance of the Indian healthcare industry suggests that the companies catering to the sector remains in pink of their health by registering a growth of 42.44 per cent in net profit during the first quarter of the current fiscal, according to The Associated Chambers of Commerce...

This paper is not an doctrinal exposition of the human right to health or its application to Nigeria. Instead, it is an analysis of key public health issues impacting upon the actualization of the right in the country. More of a report, its objective is to present a reliable account of the...