Open AccessIn search of healthcare system ideal types — Changeable classifications and dimensions
Author(s) -
Iris Moolla,
Heikki Hiilamo,
Antti Kouvo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
research on finnish society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2490-0958
pISSN - 1796-8739
DOI - 10.51815/fjsr.108062
Subject(s) - health care , healthcare system , dimension (graph theory) , cluster analysis , computer science , cluster (spacecraft) , ideal (ethics) , hierarchical clustering , knowledge management , artificial intelligence , mathematics , economics , political science , pure mathematics , programming language , economic growth , law
This article aims to classify the healthcare systems of 43 developed economies into different healthcare system types, and to examine whether the dimensions of health system characteristics produce coherent health system classification when the dimensions are observed separately. We group health systems into different types based on their institutional structures and performance using healthcare financing, healthcare provision and health outcomes as dimensions of the health system characteristics. Unlike previous classifications, we classify each dimension separately using hierarchical cluster analysis. In particular dimensions, our results resemble those found in previous classifications. However, no coherent clustering of healthcare systems was found across the three dimensions. The results show that healthcare system dimensions differ from each other and each of them form their unique system types. Separating the dimensions helps detecting connections between the healthcare system types and phenomena being studied. It is relevant to note the differences of health system dimensions while discussing healthcare system classifications.