Health Planning
Australian perspectives

This book is destined to become a classic in its field.

Sidney Sax, Chairman, Ethics Committee, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, former Director of Health Services, Planning and Research, NSW

The whys and hows are clearly and carefully explained for everyone involved in planning health services of all sizes in today's demanding climate. No health planner should go to work without this book.

Tony Adams, Professor of Public Health, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University

Increasing concern about a positive return on investment in health leads to a need to make choices. As a result, skills in planning are increasingly being required of managers, providers and policy makers in health care.

Experienced planners and teachers Kathy Eagar, Pamela Garrett and Vivian Lin have written a comprehensive introduction that bridges the theory and practice of health planning. They outline the health policy and planning context, the impact of different resource allocation environments on planning, and explain the processes and the technical skills needed to undertake service, program, corporate, business and facility planning.

The authors also explore major challenges facing health planners, including the growing role of market forces in health care, the need to balance equity of access with equity of outcomes, and the tension between planning for population health versus planning for more efficient health care delivery.

Illustrated with extensive case studies from both the public and private sectors, Health Planning is an indispensable reference for health professionals and a valuable text for students.

List of figures, tables and boxes

Abbreviations

Preface

About the authors

About the case study authors

Part I Overview and context of health policy and planning

1. Introduction to health planning

2. Trends and issues in the Australian health system

3. A brief history of health planning

Part II Planning in different resource environments

4. Planning in the context of resource allocation

5. Planning in the Australian private health care sector

Part III Core health planning skills

6. Identifying health needs and issues

7. Information and evidence for health planning

8. Community involvement in health planning

9. Forecasting

10. Developing goals, objectives and strategies in health planning

11. Setting priorities and selecting interventions

Part IV Specialist health planning practice

12. Service planning

13. Program planning for health