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The state-of-the-art of HSR in Europe.

Hansen, J. The state-of-the-art of HSR in Europe. European Journal of Public Health: 2009, 19(Suppl.1), p. 116. Abstract. 17th European Public Health Conference 'Human Ecology and Public Health', 25–28 November 2009, Lodz (Polen).
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In this section of the workshop we present an overview based on mapping the current state-of-the-art concerning various fields of health services research, addressing the different levels of analysis in HSR. (1) HSR at the level of health care systems, being national or sometimes regional entities, influenced by European institutional forces. (2) Health care organization and professional practices, in primary, secondary, tertiary and long-term care, forming an intermediate level between the health care system at large and service provision in the interaction between patients and providers. (3) Health care interventions in the field of Health Technology Assessment (HTA), systematically assessing the medical, social, ethical, and economic implications of the development, diffusion, and use of health technology. (4) Benchmarking and performance indicators, as the collection and dissemination of information on ‘good practice’ is an issue relevant to all areas of HSR, especially in light of ‘responsive health care systems’ with a growing emphasis on the needs of users (and choosers) of health care services. (5) The relationship between the HSR community and the health policy process at the various subsystems and levels of the health care system, with a focus on modes of commissioning research by policy makers as well as on how results of research are fed into the policy process. Given the broad nature of these topics our discussion will focus especially on two main questions: (a) to what degree can conclusions from studies in particular institutional settings can be transferred to other settings, and (b) what are the methodological issues of international comparisons, such as availability of and access to comparable data and pitfalls of
measurement in international studies. Identified studies from the various areas of HSR are resented as examples on how to improve comparability across Europe. This mapping will also result in an inventory and discussion of research areas with the workshop participants that are currently under-researched from a policy perspective, to be addressed in the second section of the workshop. (aut. ref.)