Health policy alternatives

Here is a synthesis of our proposed health policy alternative to healthcare, services and insurances commoditization. It exposes how health professionals, patients’ organizations and economic agents not investing in health insurances could promote such policy.

Unger, JP., Morales, I., De Paepe, P. et al. Neo-Hippocratic healthcare policies: professional or industrial healthcare delivery? A choice for doctors, patients, and their organisations. BMC Health Serv Res 20, 1067 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05890-3

https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-020-05890-3

Unger, J., & Van Dessel, P. (2010). Paradigm shifts in the health sector: Mission and methods. In J. Unger, P. De Paepe, K. Sen, & W. Soors (Authors), International Health and Aid Policies: The Need for Alternatives (pp. 155-163). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511902512.021

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/international-health-and-aid-policies/paradigm-shifts-in-the-health-sector-mission-and-methods/CB6659EE18DE4975BF81BBBB23CFA3F2

JP Unger, I Morales, M Roland. Défendre la sécurité sociale en Europe. Politique (2017) 101 : 47-59 (in French)

https://www.revuepolitique.be/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Pour-une-gauche-médicale.pdf

What could be the role of community participation in public services of industrialized countries?

Unger J.-P., De Paepe P., Ghilbert P., Green A. e-Letter. Public involvement in health care: lessons from developing countries. British Medical JournalJan 2004;

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/328/7432/159#47754

How do international trade negotiations contribute to privatize health insurances?

Unger J.-P., De Paepe P., Ghilbert P., De Groote T. Letter. Public health implications of world trade negotiations. Lancet 2004; 363: 83.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(03)15191-4/fulltext

Some proposals to improve the health policy of Bolivia and Ecuador social-democrat governments (in 2006 and 2007, respectively) with regard to biopsychosocial care.

Herland Tejerina Silva, Werner Soors, Pierre De Paepe, Edison Aguilar Santacruz, Marie-Christine Closon, and Jean-Pierre Unger. Socialist government health policy reforms in Bolivia and Ecuador: The underrated potential of comprehensive primary health care to tackle the social determinants of health. Social Medicine, 2009, 4, 4: 226-234.

https://www.medicinasocial.info/index.php/socialmedicine/article/viewArticle/337

We promoted bio-psychosocial care and doctor-patient communication in LMIC publicly oriented services

Unger J. P., Van Dormael M., Criel B., Van der Vennet J., De Munck P. A plea for an initiative to strengthen family medicine in public health care services of developing countries. Int J Health Serv. 2002; 32(4): 799-815

https://www.jstor.org/stable/45131247?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

Thirteen years later, the WHO took a step in this direction: http://www.who.int/servicedeliverysafety/areas/peoplecentred-care/en/

We proposed 30 years ago already mixed role of first line services in clinical services and disease control

Unger J.-P., Lamboray J.-L. Roles and organization of health centers in African health systems. Banque Mondiale, Washington (1990).

https://research.itg.be/nl/publications/le-centre-de-santé-dans-les-systèmes-sanitaires-africains-rôles-e

Some of our early proposed principles of international aid based on public services and not for-profit medical practice in an early book

Unger J.-P. Guide pratique de la coopération médicale. l'Harmattan 1992 (221 pages). (in French)

https://www.editions-harmattan.fr/index.asp?navig=catalogue&obj=livre&no=3962