Gwyn Bevan

Curious Incidence and Evidence-based Policy Making

Sherlock Holmes identified the man who injured the race horse Silver Blaze in the night time by observing the curious incident of the dog that did not bark when that crime was committed. Bob Evans, in 1990, used that story to claim that overwhelming evidence of unwarranted variations in rates of health care across populations was another example of the dog in the night time, as this evidence had been largely ignored in government policies. This presentation looks at the scale and causes of the curious incidence of unwarranted variations in health care and implications of this evidence for designing policies to control costs, improve equity of access and value for money.

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David Goodman

Medical Practice Variation in the U.S.: A Tool for Change

Presentation

Diane Watson

Reducing Medical Practice Variation: Achievements in the Land Down Under

Australian governments have made significant investments in monitoring, reporting and reducing unwarranted variations in health and hospital care. This seminar will look at policies, practices and projects driving improvements in access, quality, equity and efficiency in ways that impact population and patient outcomes. National, state and local examples include, for example, initiatives related to child immunisation, appropriate prescribing, discretionary care, low value care, infection control and the financial management of hospitals. Attention will be drawn to policy levers proving effective at stimulating reform.

Presentation

Sabina Nuti

Reducing avoidable variation health care: the experience of a network of Italian regions

Presentation