ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book focuses on pioneers in the application of transition studies to the health system, and much of the work has been based on the Dutch health system. It also focuses on the Sustainable Socio-Health Model that ties together concerns about "quality of life and death", recent "explosions of investments in healthcare" and "accessibility also for future generations". The book shows how specialization within the health system, as reflected in particular in specialized departments within a growing number of hospitals following World War Two, enabled the development of routine, standardized procedures and a continuous monitoring of patients, and thereby contributed to a radically modernized medical practice with successful health outcomes. It discusses experiments seeking to address the flaws through involving patients in decision-making on health research.
