Improving Health System Efficiency: Perspectives of Decision-Makers

While improving health system efficiency, or value for money, is a priority in Canada, there is little information about optimal approaches for improvement in the Canadian context. Through interviews with senior health system decision-makers from two provinces, this study conducted by the Canadian Institute for Health Information identified the following five main themes along with actions that can be taken to improve health system efficiency in Canada: performance monitoring for accountability and decision-making, system-level integration in governance and care delivery, partnerships outside the health sector to improve population health, physician engagement and remuneration and flexible funding. Future work could apply this framework to assess and compare progress towards health system efficiency in other jurisdictions.