Management. Setting priorities in health: the Oregon experiment (Part 2)

Increasing emphasis on obtaining consumer opinion in relation to needs assessment and decision making has led to interest in this country about the Oregon experiment in the US. In spite of controversies over the efficacy of such approaches, it seems likely that future emphasis will be placed on devising systematic means of gathering information about societal preferences for care. In two articles, Ann Bowling reviews the evidence from America and relates it to the ongoing changes in the British health service. Part 2 examines the methods, results and controversies generated by the Oregon experiment.