Health policy how is it directed - Bernard Young

Recent events of health care reform have put a spotlight on the political aspects of health policy development on the national scale. The same consideration should be brought to the local and regional discussion. AR and CBPR are looking at questions of health care policy and the practical involvement of the community of recipients in service determination. I think a naturally developing question is whether there is a need to bring into the discussion a different balance between corporate practice and community values, considering the context of economics and technological change, in the determination of health standards.

In the past the health care business has been left to the control of the identified experts -- doctors, medicine men, shaman, healers, etc -- but the influences of urbanization, economics, technology, and politics have increased along with the influence of corporations on the law and policy. It seems to me that there is an increasing role for citizens in directing the course of health care policy. Responding to this need requires investigation into how, in our diverse and complicated society, consumer and citizen participation can be supported efficiently and effectively yet responding to the health needs of the individual and the collective.

Expanded information distribution through the media, web, and advertisement reflects an interest to influence rather than mirror the general public. My question is, whether appropriate consideration is being given to recognizing the cultural concerns, values and goal of every day citizens by providing adequate and unprejudiced support to avenues of citizen and service recipient involvement in health care policy development. How should the academic community be involved in this discuss? Tell us about your work in this area. What do you think?