title: The 2015 hospital treatment choice reform in Norway: Continuity or change?
abstract: In several European countries, including Norway, polices to increase patient choice of hospital provider have remained high on the political agenda. The main reason behind the interest in hospital choice reforms in Norway has been the belief that increasing choice can remedy the persistent problem of long waiting times for elective hospital care. Prior to the 2013 General Election, the Conservative Party campaigned in favour of a new choice reform: "the treatment choice reform". This article describes the background and process leading up to introduction of the reform in the autumn of 2015. It also provides a description of the content and discusses possible implications of the reform for patients, providers and government bodies. In sum, the reform contains elements of both continuity and change. The main novelty of the reform lies in the increased role of private for-profit healthcare providers.
authors.affiliation: The Knowledge Centre for the Health Services, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway. Electronic address: aanenri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ånen
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Ringard
authors.affiliation: The Knowledge Centre for the Health Services, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway.
authors.forename: Ingrid Sperre
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Saunes
authors.affiliation: United Kingdom Observatory on Health Systems and Polices, LSE Health, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sagan
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016304:Hospitals, Private / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway; D057240:Patient Preference; D011057:Politics; D014850:Waiting Lists
keywords: Hospital; Norway; Patient choice; Private providers; Reform