| Ageing
population, changing demographics, chronic disease epidemiology and
larger demand for newer, more costly technologies are the problems
that virtually all countries in the world are now facing. Whereas
allocation inefficiencies in the financing and provision of health
care, inequitable access, unsatisfactory quality and financial shortfalls
are the common problems found in the health care system. These kinds
of unprecedented momentum exert a lot of pressure on the health care
system and a consensus has been made by the general public that there
is an urgent need to reform the health care system by re-examining,
revising, modifying the existing one.
In
response to the urge, a multidisciplinary group of academic researchers
from the University of Hong Kong strongly believes that there should
be an official body to act as the role of consultancy in the areas
of health economics and health care policy analysis. The group,
in particular, considers that all kinds of reform in the existing
health care system must be data-driven and based on sound evidence.
To assist the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government
in formulating an optimum health care policy, the group envisages
the formation of "The Medical and Health Research Network,
The University of Hong Kong" to act as a partner in this endeavor
and to champion this paradigm shift in the health care sector. The
Medical and Health Research Network (MHRN) was therefore established
in July 2000.
Since
its establishment, MHRN has attracted a lot of attention from top-level
health officials, academics of various disciplines all over the
world. In the past two years, MHRN has organized a lot of functions
- monthly seminars, distinguished lecture series, executive training
programmes. Besides, MHRN has become the advisory committees of
various government and quasi-government organizations like Health,
Welfare and Food Bureau, Department of Health, Hospital Authority
and Trade Development Council. Collaborative opportunities have
been developed with institutions like Harvard School of Public Health
and a lot of research papers in the area of health economics/ health
care policy have been disseminated and published by different members
of MHRN.
|
