Professional Autonomy in the Health Care System

Authors: Polder J.J.¹; Jochemsen H.²

Source: Theoretical Medicine, Volume 21, Number 5, September 2000 , pp. 477-491(15)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Professional autonomy interferes at a structural level with the various aspects of the health care system. The health care systems that can be distinguished all feature a specific design of professional autonomy, but experience their own governance problems. Empirical health care systems in the West are a nationally coloured blend of ideal type health care systems. From a normative perspective, the optimal health care system should consist of elements of all the ideal types. A workable optimum taking national values into account could be attained by governance structures that also introduce elements from other ideal type systems. Thus a normative approach to medical practice guaranteeing an essential degree of professional autonomy for a relationship of trust between the patient and the physician, could be combined with an efficient and equitable allocation of health care resources.

Keywords: medical practice; professional autonomy; health care systems; governance structures

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Department of Public Health, Erasmus University, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 Dr Rotterdam, The Netherlands E-mail: polder@mgz.fgg.eur.nl 2: Lindeboom Institute, Center for Medical Ethics, P.O. Box 224, 6710 BE EDE, The Netherlands E-mail: Lindinst@che.nl.

Publication date: 2000-09-01