Citizen participation in the reform of health care policy: a case example.
The trend toward greater citizen participation in health care policy reform has its roots in the consumerism of the 1960s. This era witnessed the beginning of a dispersion of power in health care and an increase in the number and variety of stakeholders involved in the policy development process. Using the reform Ontario's long-term care policy as a case example, this paper offers observations about the benefits and challenges of participative policy-making. Despite the challenges and the paucity of hard evidence pointing to benefits, the author concludes that broad citizen participation in health care policy reform is a desirable goal. However, the capacity for genuine collaboration remains underdeveloped and requires more systematic refinement.
Macfarlane
D
D
British Columbia Mental Health Society/Riverview Hospital, Port Coquitlam, Canada.
D003256:Community Participation; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D011050:Policy Making