[The National Research Program No. 8 - a contribution for an effective health care politic]

Health policy cannot be separated from general policy. In a democratic society it should be elaborated in an open discussion of desirable goals and their relative values and take into account the limits of feasibility. For both, goal setting and goal achievement, knowledge of facts and interrelations in the health care system are needed. To this, the Swiss National Research Programme on "Health Services" is designed to contribute.