Stakeholder Participation for Legitimate Priority Setting: A Checklist

Document Type : Perspective

Authors

1 Department for Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

2 Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

Abstract

Accountable decision-makers are required to legitimize their priority setting decisions in health to members of society. In this perspective we stress the point that fair, legitimate processes should reflect efforts of authorities to treat all stakeholders as moral equals in terms of providing all people with well-justified, reasonable reasons to endorse the decisions. We argue there is a special moral concern for being accountable to those who are potentially adversely affected by decisions. Health authorities need to operationalize this requirement into real world action. In this perspective, we operationalize five key steps in doing so, in terms of (i) proactively identifying potentially adversely affected stakeholders; (ii) comprehensively including them in the decision-making process; (iii) ensuring meaningful participation; (iv) communication of recommendations or decisions; and (v) the organization of evaluation and appeal mechanisms. Health authorities are advised to use a checklist in the form of 29 reflective questions, aligned with these five key steps, to assist them in the practical organization of legitimate priority setting in healthcare.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 7, Issue 11
November 2018
Pages 973-976

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 March 2018
  • Revise Date: 15 June 2018
  • Accept Date: 17 June 2018
  • First Publish Date: 01 November 2018

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