Structural effects of the information revolution on tax-funded European health systems and some potential policy responses

• Main Author: Richard B. Saltman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2019-01-01
• Series: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research
• Subjects: European health systems; Tax-funded health systems; European health policy; health services reform; health systems management
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13584-018-0284-2

Abstract The ongoing information revolution has re-configured the policymaking arena for tax-funded health systems in Europe. A combination of constrained public revenues with rapid technological and clinical change has created a particularly demanding set of operational challenges. Tax-funded health systems face three ongoing struggles: 1) finding badly needed new public revenues despite inadequate GDP growth 2) channeling additional funds into new high-quality provider capacity 3) re-configuring the stasis-tied organizational structure and operations of existing public providers. This commentary reviews key elements of this new information-revolution-driven context, followed by a consideration of seven specific policy challenges that it creates and/or worsens for tax-funded European systems going forward.