As policymakers and politicians grapple with the ever-increasing problem of
how health services should be provided and funded, and as commentators
and media correspondents devote numerous column inches and programme
minutes to highlighting the problems and inadequacies of health care systems,
health care professionals are increasingly being inundated by the pressures
and demands placed on them to meet a variety of targets as part of
contractual obligations, to provide the same (or greater) volume of services,
but with fewer resources and against the background of an increasing threat
of litigation if things go wrong or if patients are not satisfied.
The aim of this chapter is to provide an insight into the subject of health
economics and its derivation. The chapter initially considers some of the issues
confronting health care systems at the beginning of the twenty-first century
and what the discipline area of economics entails. The concepts that underpin
health economics – efficiency and equity – are explored, before a more detailed
explanation of health economics and its relevance to health professionals. The
chapter concludes with an overview of the remainder of the book.