Journal of management in medicine
-
There is currently great interest in how best to consult the public on purchasing priorities, but little information about the results of such activity. Based on health panels set up by Somerset Health Authority, intends to rectify this gap. ⋯ Argues that ordinary members of the public are capable of exploring complex funding priorities. A qualitative approach is essential to provide time for reflection, as the process of deliberation affects the decisions reached.
-
Explores the extent to, and ways in which, doctors are prepared for their future role in management through the undergraduate medical curriculum. Surveys the colleges across the UK offering undergraduate medical education using both prospectuses and questionnaires to establish both inclusion of healthcare management/policy in curricula and the subject content offered. ⋯ The emphasis in most institutions appears to be on introducing the structure and organization of the NHS together with decision making in respect of resource allocation often located within a public health programme. This leads to the tentative conclusion that the management education needs of future public health physicians are reasonably well served while those of hospital doctors and general practitioners need further investigation.