EWS Exploratory workshops on health care systems and health economics in the Nordic countries

The overall aim of the exploratory workshops is to study and document the characteristics of the Nordic health care systems and provide a firm basis for advanced research that focuses on these systems, their similarities, differences and consequences. T he first workshop will map in relative detail the characteristics of the Nordic health care systems. The aim of the second workshop is to explore what we know about the relative performance of the Nordic systems. Both theoretical work and empirical eviden ce will be considered and the focus is on what kind of issues health economists dealing with these countries have focussed on. The third workshop will have as its main outcome research proposal(s) that focus on the properties of the Nordic health care sys tem(s). Each workshop will last 24 hours (lunch to lunch). The information produced in the first two will be documented in reports and articles, whereas the third has research applications as main output. The format of the program is based on the fact that all participating health economists (altogether 14) know each other and together form a small but extremely qualified group for the task at hand. The non-Nordic participant is similarly very experienced in the UK setting abut also knows a lot about t he Nordic countries. In addition, two experts in economic methodology will participate in the workshops. The thirteen co-applicants include one colleague from Iceland and two or more from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.