Citizen participation in health policy-making : a national perspective.
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1982.
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Link to ProQuest Copy Link to OAKTrust copy ProQuest, Abstract |
| Abstract: | This dissertation develops a national policy perspective of the American experiences with citizen participation in health systems planning. Because the current perception of citizen participation in health systems planning is based on many disparate, mostly micro-analytic studies, it lacks an appropriate level of conceptualization for developing a national policy perspective. This study demonstrates the development of an appropriate level of conceptualization through the use of an "issue systems" framework. The framework's three constructs are used to define the substantive policy issue, citizen participation in health systems planning, and to describe the distinct health policy-making arena (i.e., structure and process) dealing with the policy issue. In so doing, the social-political context from which citizen participation policy evolved is explored and feasible policy adjustments which can guide future health policy arena deliberations are developed and assessed. The major finding generated by this study is that citizen participation in health systems planning has been a contrived, meaningless, and ineffective policy of symbolic representation which incrementally accommodates public demands for a means to assure a more responsive and accountable health care delivery system. Its most probable goal is to legitimize the growing trend to politicize health concerns as reflected by increasing government involvement in health system matters. Nevertheless, recent developments, such as the emergence of health consumer interest groups operating at the national health policy arena level, have enhanced the policy's potential and could lead to the evolution of a viable social-political reform measure. The major policy recommendation generated by this study is that the national government should affirm its commitment to citizen participation by developing and issuing a cohesive, comprehensive policy statement which can guide the development of a specific citizen participation program with goals, objectives, and evaluation criteria. Several incremental policy adjustments, developed and assessed by a panel of experts, are also recommended. Implementation of these policy recommendations should allow subsequent evaluations to determine more adequately not only the policy's effectiveness, but its intended and unintended policy impacts as well. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | "Major subject: Urban and Regional Science." Typescript (photocopy). Vita. |
| Physical Description: | x, 215 leaves ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-214). |