Policy tools for allocative efficiency of health services

the long version

This study is a result of trying to answer for the WHO the question, "Are there any policy tools that have been shown to improve the allocative efficiency of health care provision?" It does not simply tell policy-makers which tools to take up, but rather how to determine which ones are more likely to be feasible and effective, given particular circumstances of political and administrative capacity, knowledge on the part of both providers and consumers, and other factors which affect whether a policy tool can be used, and with what outcome.