The 2nd HPD report - Health Policy Monitor

Editorial
The Bertelsmann Foundation has a tradition of comparative policy
research and international benchmarking. In Germany, it has
established a reputation for providing advice and innovative
problem-solving in the field of economic and social politics.
The International Reform Monitor (www.reformmonitor.org),
initiated in 1999 and now in its sixth year, is one example of this
benchmark expertise. It primarily covers social and labor market
issues. An example of the Foundation’s experience in comparative
health system analysis is the eight-country study “Reforming
the Health Sector,” edited by Esche, Böcken and Butzlaff (Gütersloh
2000). The success of both projects underscored the need
and the potential demand for timely and regular information on
health policy issues in countries with similar socioeconomic patterns.
To this end, the Foundation established a separate monitoring
tool, the International Network Health Policy & Reform.
The International Network Health Policy and Reform
Since 2002, the International Network has brought together
health policy experts of 16 countries from around the world to
report on current health reform issues and health policy developments
in their countries. Geared toward implementation, the
purpose of the Network is to narrow the gap between research
and policy, providing timely information on what works and what
doesn’t work in health policy reform.
Participating countries were chosen from a German perspective;
we specifically looked at countries with relevant reform experience
to enrich the debate in this country.
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