Informing health policy : a history of the New Zealand health reforms 1983-2002

Abstract

This study of health policy will illustrate the mechanisms of how information or policy evidence has been constrained and enabled over the last 40 years and four health sector reforms. The essence of this study is to discuss critically the evidence used to support and develop the ideas which fuelled the four main health reforms. The study does not treat information and policy development as neutral and objective, but as a 'messy process' and will critically examine health policy through a holistic framework. Instead of counting references, the research contextualises the development of policy by embedding the reforms in a historical, ideological and political context which are contingent on the actions and interactions of human actors. This analyse of policy evidence is described through the actual events and processes which led up to the development, implementation and demise of the reforms.