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Coping with regional variations: The case of surgery in Denmark
Author(s) -
Andersen Tavs Folmer,
Blais Regis,
Bredesen Jesper,
Jørgensen Torben,
Loft Anne,
Madsen Mette,
Mooney Gavin,
Sejr Torben
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
the international journal of health planning and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-1751
pISSN - 0749-6753
DOI - 10.1002/hpm.4740020405
Subject(s) - danish , coping (psychology) , relevance (law) , political science , health care , regional science , medicine , sociology , psychiatry , law , philosophy , linguistics
This article examines some of the key research and policy issues that are emerging as a result of recent analyses of regional variations in health care. The article presents a historical background to this important new field of health services' research, and indicates, using some Danish examples of research on hysterectomy, cholecystectomy, and prostatectomy, the revelance of this research to management and policy planning. Regional variations are not yet fully explained in terms of what causes them. What is clear and what is the primary focus of this article is that their very existence, whatever their explanation, creates a major challenge for the management and planning of future health services.