Policy networks in healthcare policy: a case study on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the appraisal for beta-interferon treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis

摘要

The focus of this thesis was the study of the policy decision-making process in the healthcare services network in order to understand the behaviour of key actors involved in the UK health network. Additionally, the study examined about the use of the “policy networks” approach, and the application of the Dialectical Relationships Model in the healthcare service networks. A number of factors, internal and external to the network, are interacting and determine policy decisions while in turn influence the process and its outcome.udThe research demonstrated that there were formal and non-formal rules within the network and actors interacted according to what was agreed. Actors worked and cooperated in order to produce a favourable outcome, and interacted accordingly in different situations. Another key research finding was shown to be the importance of individuals within organizations and within networks. The network was generally influenced by several factors: past conflicts, asymmetry in resources and power, the socio-economic and political context within which the network operated, governmental intervention were some; they were influencing the operation of the network and the role of actors and of individuals within actors. The application of the Dialectical Model had shown that the Model provided a general framework for studying policy making process.