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A Study on the Impact of Public-Private Relationships and Interactions or Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) on Health System Objectives |
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Listen to what the team aims and expects of their research project
 Eliza L Y Wong |
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Abstract
A well-functioning health system recognizes the private sector as integral to the system, defines the complementary roles of the private and public sectors, and has in place a comprehensive public policy framework. This is a comparative health systems study of 3 countries/ territory in Asia: Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong which had very similar health systems and public private mix in the era of British Administration with the following objectives:
• To assess the current role played by the public and private sectors in the respective health system;
• To document the policies and policy instruments used, and understand the nature and types of PPPs that have been introduced;
• To examine the influence of the socio-economic and political environments in the development and evolution of policies and PPPs; and
• To evaluate the impact of the PPPs on the 3 health systems objectives.
The PPP framework developed by Harding and Preker (2003) is used a basis for analyzing the nature and type of PPP in these 3 countries/ territory. The Private Health Sector Assessment Tool will be adapted to guide the collection of data (through secondary data analysis e.g. literature review, academic publication, health statistics/ survey, policy or government documents, etc.) on the current role of the private sector and the strengths and weaknesses of these markets, and the general economic and policy environment for private health sector development. Longitudinal information and data in the course of the last 3 decades on the policies for PPPs, policy institutions, instruments applied (such as exhortation, taxation, expenditure, regulation and public ownership) and process, socio-economic and political system will be sought compared and analysed for their influence on the development of PPPs. Primary data collection through focus group and in-depth interviews with key policy makers, private providers and/ or patients will be conducted to have understanding on the demand for private services, policy and regulatory environment for private provision of health services, barriers to engaging private sectors, etc. The understanding of the issues in the policy process and instruments applied and the generation of new knowledge on the socio-economic and political variables influencing the policy process and preconditions for effectiveness would contribute to two key objectives of NIHA in contributing to thinking and policy formulation and fostering Singapore’s goal of leading in health policy and related research. |
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