OECD Reviews of Health Care Quality: Norway 2014 Raising Standards

Description:

This book presents a comprehensive review of health care quality in Norway. It finds that Norway has an impressive and comprehensive health system, which is the result of sustained commitment to providing health care for the whole Norwegian population, investment in the health system, and readiness to make changes to drive improvements. On most indicators Norway’s health system appears to be performing well, although there is some room for improvement.
There have been a number of significant health care reforms in Norway over the last decade, most recently the Coordination Reform, which took effect in January 2012.

Broadly this is a positive story, but challenges do lie ahead for Norway. Norway is putting in place measures to respond to these challenges, notably with the 2012 Coordination Reform, but still has some way to go before the fruits of such labour are truly felt across the health system.
Norway’s ambitious reform agenda must now be balanced by structured efforts ‘on the ground’. Attention should now turn to putting in place appropriate data infrastructures, promoting meaningful engagement between key stakeholders, and by balancing a generous health budget that allows for important investments in developing new structures and services with attention to getting the most out of existing services.

Table of contents:

Acronyms and abbreviations 9
Executive summary 13
Assessment and recommendations 17
Chapter 1. Quality of health care in Norway 39
-1.1. Introduction 40
-1.2. Context 44
-1.3. Health system design 48
-1.4. Assuring the quality of inputs to the Norwegian health care system 57
-1.5. Patient safety policies and reports about medical malpractice 62
-1.6. Health system monitoring and standardisation of practice 64
-1.7. Policies to drive improvement in the quality of care 69
-1.8. Conclusions 72
-Bibliography 75
Chapter 2. Primary care physicians in Norway 77
-2.1. Introduction 78
-2.2. The provision of primary care in Norway 78
-2.3. Quality initiatives in Norwegian primary care 89
-2.4. Outcomes associated with primary care in Norway 94
-2.5. Challenges faced by primary care in Norway 97
-2.6. Securing a greater quality dividend from primary care in Norway 103
-2.7. Conclusions 110
-Bibliography 113
Chapter 3. Shifting care away from the hospital sector and toward primary care settings in Norway 117
-3.1. Introduction 118
-3.2. Policy initiatives to expand primary health care services 119
-3.3. Description of supplemented primary health care units 123
-3.4. Assuring high quality of care in keeping people out of hospitals 126
-3.5. Moving forward, strengthening monitoring and improving contracting for quality improvement 139
-3.6. Conclusions 147
-Bibliography 151
Chapter 4. Mental health in Norway 155
-4.1. Introduction 156
-4.2. Organisation of mental health care in Norway 157
-4.3. Measures of quality for mental health care can be strengthened further 171
-4.4. Addressing three key shortcomings in service delivery and availability for mental health care 177
-4.5. Improving co-ordination and defining responsibilities across different levels of governance 185
-4.6. Conclusions 192
-Bibliography 195

Website: OECD iLibrary http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/

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