Increasing concern about a positive return on investment in health leads to a need to make choices. As a result, skills in planning are increasingly being required of managers, providers and policy makers in health care. Experienced planners and teachers Kathy Eagar, Pamela Garrett and Vivian Lin have written a comprehensive introduction that bridges the theory and practice of health planning. They outline the health policy and planning context, the impact of different resource allocation environments on planning, and explain the processes and the technical skills needed to undertake service, programme, corporate, business and facility planning. The authors also explore major challenges facing health planners, including the growing role of market forces in health care, the need to balance equity of access with equity of outcomes, and the tension between planning for population health versus planning for more efficient health care delivery. Illustrated with extensive case studies from both the public and private sectors, the book is intended as both a reference for health professionals and a text for students.
Author Biography
Kathy Eagar is Professor and Director of the Centre for Health Service Development at the University of Wollongong. Pamela Garrett is Senior Planner at the South Western Sydney Area Health Service and teaches Health Care Management at the University of Western Sydney. Vivian Lin is Professor of Public Health and Head of School at La Trobe University.
