title: [The first 15 years of FICOSSER (Federation for International Cooperation of Health Services and Systems Research Centers): 1987-2002].
abstract: The Federation for International Cooperation of Health Services and Systems Research Centers (FICOSSER) has been established for promoting interchange and cooperation across the borders of nations, scientific disciplines or institutional settings. During the period 1987-2002, the Federation has convened 4 general conferences--large forums for assessing the state-of-the-art--and 11 research meetings, each dealing with a specific research topic. The proceedings of each conference or research meeting were published by a volunteering member-center, with its own resources, on behalf of FICOSSER. One of the salient features of FICOSSER activities was the continuity of the efforts deployed by its member-centers for working together and furthering certain research areas: heath care financing, human resources of the health system, rural health issues, health care reform in the former socialist countries, research for appropriate health response to disasters and major emergencies, etc. Certain activities of FICOSSER were carried out in close collaboration with the World Health Organization. Since its inception, FICOSSER has highlighted two principles--self-help and mutual enrichment--for the involvement of its members-centers.
authors.affiliation: Centre Géorgien de Gestion Sanitaire et l'Université de Scranton, Pennsylvanie, USA.
authors.forename: Bui Dang Ha
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Doan
authors.forename: Danièle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lévy
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning; D006295:Health Resources; D006296:Health Services / Q000266:history; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation / Q000266:history; D009938:Organizations / Q000266:history*; D012423:Rural Health; D014944:World Health Organization