By Rebecca A. Bruni, BA, BScN, Andreas Laupacis, MD, MSc, and Douglas K. Martin, PhD, for the University of Toronto Priority Setting in Health Care Research Group.
Setting priorities in health care means allocating limited resources so that some programs are supported and others are not (Box 1, below). For more than a decade, patients, scholars and government reports have asserted that the public should have greater involvement in setting health care priorities (1), but progress on this front in Canada has been slow. We believe the merits of public involvement are compelling and in keeping with a democratic society's desire for an informed, fully engaged citizenry. In this commentary, we review the value of public engagement, address the perceived barriers and suggest ways forward.
Reference:
1. New B, editor. Rationing: talk and action in healthcare. London (UK): Blackwell BMJ Books; 1997.
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