Michael F. Drummond, in a recent paper in this Journal, has pointed out the usefulness and even necessity of physicians in clinical practice understanding certain key concepts of…
Abstract
Michael F. Drummond, in a recent paper in this Journal, has pointed out the usefulness and even necessity of physicians in clinical practice understanding certain key concepts of economics that apply to the provision of medical care. While the clinical practice of medicine and economic theory may appear to be quite unrelated, in fact they share a basic purpose: that of maximising the benefit society as a whole receives from the limited productive capability at hand. Viewed in this way, choices in the provision of medical care are but a subset of all choices that society must make in allocating this limited capability among many competing uses. ‘Economising’ thus is applicable to each component of economic activity, including the provision of medical care. ‘Scarcity’ and ‘opportunity cost’, as defined by Drummond, are the anchors of the bridge joining medical care and economics, and represent the fundamental concepts in the teaching of economic ways of thinking to those who determine the allocation of resources between medical care and other sectors of production, and within medical care. This paper builds on Drummond's ‘teaching approaches’ — his suggestions about where, when, what, and how to proceed until the infusion of this sort of economics education into the medical curriculum — with observations derived from 16 years' experience in teaching health care economics, in many settings, in the United States. It offers them, with due qualification for the differences between the US and UK medical care delivery and financing systems, in the hope that they may prove useful in expanding the teaching of economic concepts to future clinical practitioners and managers in both countries.
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Economists seem to be studying every nook and cranny of the field of medical care, from cost‐benefit analyses of medical technology to economies of scale in hospital size, the…
Abstract
Economists seem to be studying every nook and cranny of the field of medical care, from cost‐benefit analyses of medical technology to economies of scale in hospital size, the utilisation of non‐physician personnel to render care, the effects of pre‐paid financing and care systems, and so on, across an apparently highly divergent range of concerns. Obviously, what these studies have in common is their general subject, ‘medical care financing delivery, and utilisation’, But do they represent only a patchwork approach to understanding the economic features of the ‘real’ system of producing and consuming medical care, or are they somehow systematically, if not always clearly, related to each other? It is argued here that what seems to be a random, unrelated set of studies are indeed closely unified: and together they comprise an integrated analysis of the broad sector of medical care economics.
Eleonora Pantano and Kim Willems
After having drawn lessons from the recent COVID-19 pandemic for retailers in the previous chapters, in this last chapter we provide an outline on retailing over a longer time…
Abstract
After having drawn lessons from the recent COVID-19 pandemic for retailers in the previous chapters, in this last chapter we provide an outline on retailing over a longer time horizon. We start with projections of how the phygitalization trend in retailing will further evolve and what role data plays as a basis for a competitive advantage – on the condition of smart and ethical use. Besides looking at customers (downstream), we address the upstream in the value delivery network, focusing on how to succeed in balancing between efficiency and sustainability in the retail supply chain. Retailers face huge challenges. This chapter contributes to setting the scene for retailers to thrive in the brand-new post-pandemic aftermath.
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Patrick Hopkinson, Mats Niklasson, Peter Bryngelsson, Andrew Voyce and Jerome Carson
The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the life of the musician Brian Wilson from five different perspectives.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the life of the musician Brian Wilson from five different perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a mixed method of collaborative autoethnography, psychobiography and digital team ethnography to try and better understand the life and contributions of Brian Wilson.
Findings
Each of the five contributors provides different insights into the life and music of Brian Wilson.
Research limitations/implications
While the focus of this paper is on a single individual, a case study, the long and distinguished life of Brian Wilson provides much material for discussion and theorising.
Practical implications
Each individual presenting to mental health services has a complex biography. The five different contributions articulated in this paper could perhaps be taken as similar to the range of professional opinions seen in mental health teams, with each focusing on unique but overlapping aspects of the person’s story.
Social implications
This account shows the importance of taking a biological-psychological-social-spiritual and cultural perspective on mental illness.
Originality/value
This multi-layered analysis brings a range of perspectives to bear on the life and achievements of Brian Wilson, from developmental, musical, psychological and lived experience standpoints.