This title is directed primarily towards health care professionals outside of the United States. This introductory text explores Australian health policy through a novel, problem-orientated approach. It shows the problem-solving techniques that are used when developing policy and demonstrates the skills of analysis and decision making. Introductory chapters explain the problem-orientated approach to health policy development and introduce the policy making process. These are followed by case studies that explore developments in Australian health policy in priority and topical areas. Chapters illustrate how policy-makers respond to perennial and emerging policy problems and demonstrate problem-solving approaches to the conception, development and implementation of health policy. Of particular concern are areas which are in transition or are highly contested. A team of prominent and expert contributors gives an overview of key issues, analyse the policy responses that have occurred and propose directions for the future. Topics covered span governance, values and specific service areas within major established areas of health policy of national concern as well as emerging problems and developments that have occurred in response to well-known cases.
List of abbreviations
I Health policy: an overview
1. A problem-orientated approach to policy analysis, Simon Barraclough and Heather Gardner
2. The context: the Australian health care system and major policy players, Heather Gardner and Simon Barraclough
3. Structural and institutional problems and health policy in Australia, Andrew Podger
4. Policy making as a process, Heather Gardner and Simon Barraclough
5. Policy development and implementation, Iain Butterworth
6. Health impact assessment and policy problems, Mary Mahoney
II Governance of the health system
7. Health policy making in a federal system of government, Hal Swerissen and Stephen Duckett
8. Managerialism, the public service, and decision making in health, Brigid McCoppin
9. Political, social and institutional factors in regulating complementary and alternative therapies, Vivian Lin
10. Problems in health information policy, Kerin Robinson, Dianne Williamson and Heather Grain
III Values in health policy
11. The problem of trust in public policy, Rae Walker
12. The dilemma of public advocacy: the Maria Korp case, Julian Gardner
13. Cultural diversity and the health care system, Megan-Jane Johnstone and Olga Kanitsaki
14. The problem of risk in health care policy: the case of ?Dr Death, Matthew Jackson
IV Responding to perennial or emerging health policy problems
15. Health policy for the aged, Carol Grbich
16. Free trade and pharmaceutical drugs policy, Rebecca de Boer
17. Mental health policy, Fiona Judd
18. Accommodating new technology: robotics in prostate cancer surgery, Rosemary Watts, Marie Botti and Heather Gardner
19. Rehabilitation policy and post-injury vocational achievement, Greg Murphy and Peter Foreman
20. Professional substitution in the health workforce, Rosalie Boyce
21. Risk management and food safety, Jim Smith
Index