Towards a Better and Sustainable Health Care System Resource Allocation and Financing Issues for Ireland

Abstract

The key to any efficient and sustainable system is coherence ? the various elements must lead in the same direction so that actions do not conflict and mixed signals are avoided. In the context of a complex system, such as health, coherence means that the policies and practices in place are aligned with the stated goals for healthcare. Resource allocation mechanisms are ways of ensuring that these goals are achieved on the ground. They set out how and where decisions need to be made, over what domains they should operate, and what incentives need to be put in place in order to make sure that the goals are achieved. Financing mechanisms are designed to ensure that access by users to services align with stated policy objectives.