Health Policy Analysis: A Simple Tool for Policy Makers

Introduction

• Scope of Policy Analysis: Broad, includes both process and content analysis
• Focus of Paper: Analysis of policy content and linking it to health outcomes
• Proposed Framework: Eight-step framework for health policy analysis aimed at simplicity

Approaches to Policy Analysis

• Definition: Techniques to study established policies, their origins, and consequences
• Methods Suggested by Dunn:
  1. Definition of the problem
  2. Prediction of consequences
  3. Prescription of solutions
  4. Description of past consequences
  5. Evaluation of policy effectiveness
• Portney's Approaches:
  • Policy making as a political process
  • Cause and consequence approach
  • Policy prescription for future evaluation
• Bardach's Eight-Fold Path:
  1. Define the problem
  2. Assemble the evidence
  3. Construct the alternatives
  4. Select the criteria
  5. Project the outcomes
  6. Confront the trade-offs
  7. Decide
  8. Tell your story

Health Policy Analysis

• Definition by WHO: Agreement on health issues, goals, objectives, and strategies
• High vs Low Politics: Differentiation in policies by Walt
• Framework Proposed:
  1. Define the context
  2. State the problem
  3. Search for evidence
  4. Consider different policy options
  5. Project the outcomes
  6. Apply evaluative criteria
  7. Weigh the outcomes
  8. Make the decision

Detailed Steps in Framework

• Define the Context:

  • Importance of understanding national realities
  • Profiling country factors (historical, geographical, social, economic)

• State the Problem:

  • Identify health problems impacting people's health
  • Need for research depends on discrepancies, unclear reasons, and multiple solutions

• Search for Evidence:

  • Collect meaningful data to solve the problem
  • Use literature reviews, secondary and primary data if needed

• Consider Policy Options:

  • Analyze alternative interventions
  • Reflect on ethnic specificity and scientific justification
  • Recognize that options may not be mutually exclusive

• Project Outcomes:

  • Focus on outcomes of interventions
  • Compare different interventions (e.g., treatment vs prevention)

• Apply Evaluative Criteria:

  • Relevance, progress, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact

• Weigh the Outcomes:

  • Focus on outcomes instead of alternatives
  • Use example of weighing treatment vs prevention outcomes

• Make the Decision:

  • Context-specific decision-making
  • Importance of expert feedback and evidence-based policymaking

Conclusion

• Challenges of Policy Analysis: Often not straightforward from policy intent to implementation
• Importance of Awareness and Communication: Essential for influencing policy

Acknowledgements

• Acknowledgement of contributions from Professor Jerrold Michael and Keith Collins.

References

• A selection of academic references cited in the paper for further reading and context.