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INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM: THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE MICRO‐COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Author(s) -
Parsons Robert J.,
Woller Gary M.,
Neubauer Günther,
Rothaermel Frank T.,
Zelle Barbara
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-1338.2000.tb00906.x
Subject(s) - health care , outcome (game theory) , business , aggregate data , medical care , public economics , actuarial science , accounting , medicine , economics , nursing , economic growth , mathematical economics , pathology
Microcomparison, or single‐component analysis, of health care systems offers a potentially better basis for reform than traditional macrocomparison analysis of aggregate elements. Using macroanalysis, available evidence shows that Germany provides cheaper but more effective hospital care than the United States. To find the causes for this outcome, we developed a microanalytic model of hospital administrators’ perceptions, financial ratios, medical outcomes, and pharmaceutical costs. However, only data on pharmaceutical costs were available and similar in both countries. Our significant outcome was development of a microcomparative model that gives world medical care providers new criteria for analyzing and improving cost to care rafios.