September 29, 2011
Provinces are looking for ways to improve the quality and volume of post-acute care through different funding methods. Activity-based funding (ABF) is one policy option being widely considered.
Some provinces use ABF in hospital care to control costs and increase volume of acute procedures. To ensure that ABF in hospital care realizes its full potential, it is critical that post-acute care is funded in such a way that the efficiency of the system is maximized. “Given the high rate of inefficient hospital bed use, the emphasis of funding reforms should be on aligning incentives across provider types,” says Dr. Jason Sutherland, the editor of www.healthcarefunding.ca.
The opportunities and challenges of aligning funding policies across the health care system in Canada have recently been outlined in the health care funding resource, www.healthcarefunding.ca. This new information on the website draws upon international examples and evidence from scientific and policy research.
www.healthcarefunding.ca is a central, reliable and impartial resource for literature, news and discussion regarding health care funding policies in Canada. The site highlights funding policy research and key considerations relevant to decision makers, administrators and researchers. Sutherland also notes that visitors to the website can subscribe to Health Care Funding, a newsletter that keeps readers up to date on funding policy news in Canada and internationally
Contact: Rachael McKendry
Tel: 604-822-0574
E-mail: mckendry@chspr.ubc.ca