Open University Press The European Patient Of The Future (State of Health)

Health care is changing fast and patients' experiences and expectations are also changing. Developments in information technology and biotechnology are already having a profound influence on the way health services are delivered and the organization of health care is under reform in most countries. Patients no longer see themselves as passive recipients of care: increasingly they expect to be involved in all decisions that affect them. This book reports the results of a major study carried out in eight different European countries to look at health policy dilemmas through the eyes of the patient. Drawing on literature reviews, focus groups and a survey of 1,000 people in each of the eight countries, the book addresses the following questions: . Why might the patients of the future be different? . What will patients and citizens expect from health systems? . Will the public be willing to pay more for better health care? . What kind of value trade-offs are people prepared to make, for example between prompt access and continuity of care, or between choice and equity? . How will patients access information, advice and treatment? . How should policy-makers and providers react to patients' desire for greater autonomy? . How can public confidence in health systems be maintained in the future? The European Patient of the Future is a clear, jargon-free text which will be a key resource for all health service professionals, health policy analysts and patient advocates. About the Author Angela Coulter is Chief Executive of Picker Institute Europe. The Picker Institute works with European health care providers to obtain feedback from patients and promote patient-centred care. A social scientist by training, Angela has a doctorate in health services research from the University of London. She is Visiting Professor in Health Services Research at the University of Oxford, Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, a Governor of Oxford Brookes University and an Honorary Fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health Medicine. From 1993-99 she was an Executive Director of the King's Fund in London leading their work on health policy analysis, research and service development. Prior to that she worked for 12 years at the University of Oxford where she established and directed the Health Services Research Unit. Helen Magee is a Research Officer with Picker Institute Europe. She read history at Cambridge University and worked in television for many years researching and producing a number of health documentaries for ITV and Channel Four. She has a variety of experience in qualitative research, conducting focus groups and producing reports on health and other issues.