ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses core concepts of comparing healthcare policy and politics. It assesses developments in expenditure and healthcare provision. The chapter provides information for 34 Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development countries, and reveals which countries are more successful in controlling costs as well as in translating monetary inputs into healthcare provision. It provides insights into one of modern society's most crucial arenas. The chapter indicates that healthcare systems with a higher share of public funding are more successful in bringing healthcare costs under control. It also discusses some of the most influential concepts in both clusters of writing. Governance and regulation in healthcare demonstrate major conflicts due to the presence of influential interest groups. Healthcare information technology greatly impacts upon the relationship between policy-makers, funders, healthcare providers and patients who have been empowered via better access to information. The chapter discusses regulations in different healthcare systems and how regulation is related to patients' access to healthcare.
