Health Politics in Europe: A Handbook

Health Politics in Europe: A Handbook is a comprehensive reference work that provides historical background, up-to-date information, and analysis on health politics and health systems throughout Europe. It covers developments since the end of the Cold War, including privatization and market-oriented reforms in post-communist transition countries and new public management in Western European health systems. The handbook offers country cases divided into regional sections, with a focus on the political motivations and dynamics behind key health reforms. Its systematic structure makes it useful for research and analysis across different countries and topics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 1048 pages
Publication date: 02 July 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Health Politics in Europe: A Handbook is a comprehensive and groundbreaking reference work that delves into the historical background, current information, and analytical insights of health politics and health systems across Europe. In particular, it sheds light on the significant developments that have transpired since the end of the Cold War, a pivotal period for many European health systems. Many post-communist transition countries have privatized their state-run health systems, while Western European health systems have experimented with innovative public management and market-oriented health reforms.

The handbook is organized into three introductory chapters, followed by seven regional sections, each beginning with a brief regional outlook chapter that highlights the common characteristics and divergent paths taken by the individual countries. These regional sections contain at least one detailed main case, along with shorter treatments of the other countries in the region.

Each country chapter provides a comprehensive historical overview, examining the country's progression through various political regimes and their impact on the health system. It also offers an overview of the institutions and functioning of the contemporary health system, as well as a political narrative tracing the politics of health policy since 1989. This political narrative serves as the core of each country case, exploring key health reforms to understand their political motivations, dynamics, and their impact on public opinion and political legitimacy.

The handbook's systematic structure makes it an invaluable resource for conducting country-specific, cross-national, and topical research and analysis in the field of health politics. It offers a comprehensive and up-to-date perspective on the complex and evolving landscape of health systems in Europe, providing valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders alike.

Weight: 2068g
Dimension: 255 x 181 x 64 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198860525