The principal aim of this paper is to estimate a stochastic frontier cost function and an inefficiency effects model in the analysis of the primary health care services purchased by the public authority and supplied by 180 providers in 1996 in Catalonia. The evidence from our sample does not...

This paper reviews the progress report on implementation of the National Strategy for Socio-Economic Development (NSSED) during 2004 in Albania. The NSSED established a multiyear plan to combat poverty and strengthen governance. The main implication of the Integrated Planning System for the...

This paper reviews Madagascar’s progress under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Total assistance to be provided to Madagascar under the HIPC Initiative amounts to US$836 million in net present value terms—US$22 million higher than the decision point estimate....

This paper examines the relationship between health aid and infant mortality, using data from 118 countries between 1973 and 2004. Health aid has a statistically significant effect on infant mortality: doubling per capita health aid is associated with a 2 percent reduction in the infant...

The aim of this research is to carry out a systematic literature review of the studies devoted to the performance assessment of primary health care providers. Focusing on the peculiarities of performance evaluation in the public sector, we analyse the selected empirical papers in terms of the...

Physician resource planning is an important part of health policy, but to date there are no studies measuring the primary care service needs of a particular population. The aim of this study was to project the expected provision of physician services for the pediatric population of one Canadian...

To present new evidence both on the horizontal inequity in the delivery of primary health care and on the factors driving inequalities in the use of GP services for Spanish population aged 50 years and over.

The purpose of this text is to describe a procedure that can be used to construct a Herfindahl-Hirschman index of market concentration based on the following two pieces of information: <p> <p> a) An output measure of individual producers located in areas identified with a postal code. <p> b) A matrix...</p></p></p>