PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L M Groot

Publications and source records attributed to L M Groot.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Incentives for cost-effective behavior: a Dutch experience.

In 1983 the Dutch government introduced a system of hospital budgeting in the Netherlands to contain the increase in health care costs. The budgets were fixed at the real costs in 1983 after an assessment of these costs. A distinction is made between external budgets, which is allocation of resources by external institutions, and internal budgets, which is the allocation within the organization. External budgets should be global; internal budgets should be specific. The influence of the budgeting process on the situation and attitude of physicians is analysed. The budgeting process influences the administration as more and better data are needed to involve heads of departments and physicians in the budgeting process. Specifications of the data in departments, specialisms, and patients seems necessary. The budget process also has its impact on the hospital organization, notably on the position of the physicians and the medical staff, for it tends to integrate them more completely into the organization. There may be a difference between 'the gate specialists' and the specialist heads of service departments. Budget responsibility will be given to all specialists. Finally, the budgeting process affects the quality of patient care. With limited resources, it is necessary to link quality with efficiency in allocating resources. It will probably be necessary to provide more coordination between hospital budgets and specialists' fees. In the future more capitation and salary elements will be brought into the fee system for physicians.

Budgets↗
PubMed1984

Intramural health care budgeting.

In the last years endeavours have been made in several health systems to get a firm grip on the explosive cost development in hospitals which amounts to nearly half of all health care expenditures. The fee-for-service system for doctors coupled with the professional autonomy leads to expansion of quality and quantity of services provided. In many systems hospitals are financed on basis of output items as patient days, examinations and therapies. As hospital costs are in the short run preponderantly constant prices fixed at average costs are higher than marginal costs. This situation favours expansion of services as in that case marginal revenue exceeds marginal cost. Inversely the decrease of services provided generates losses for the hospital. In systems, where financing takes place in the way of budgets like the U.K., Denmark and Italy, the authorities have more influence on the cost development in the system. In systems where the hospitals are financed by social security on basis of output, arrangements are now made to bring budgetary elements in the financing of these institutions. In France the "Budget Global" will be applied to services financed by the Sécurité sociale. In Belgium arrangements have been made to contain the amount of patient days allowed for reimbursement and in the Netherlands in 1983 budget-financing has been introduced for all general and teaching hospitals. In 1984 this system also applies to all other intramural institutions. If a way has been found to focus the financing mechanism of these institutions on budgeted costs, the way is open for budgeting these institutions. A very important problem in this context is the budget formula, which will be used to determine the budgets. In this respect a distinction can be made between internal and external budgeting. Internal budgeting is understood here as a process whereby the hospital itself puts a limit to the use of resources or adapts its resources to budget constraints coming from the outside. External budgeting can be defined as the budgetary constraint given from the outside by third parties to the hospitals. Of course, both internal and external budgeting are narrowly interrelated. The distinction between these two ways of budgeting should be sought in the character of the budget formula. External budgeting should be based on global indications whilst internal budgeting should be more differentiated than the external budget formula.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Budgets↗