Coordination of health care in the Nordic countries

Abstract

Coordination of health care exists at many different levels and in many different forms. We describe the similarities and differences in coordination mechanisms among the Nordic countries. In some respects, the Nordic countries approach coordination problems in similar ways although differences exist. The overall pattern shows that Finland and Sweden have less country-wide coordination compared with the other countries. There are many questions and few answers with regard to which mechanisms work best. Hence, coordination mechanisms in health care seem to be an important area for further research. We outline a few topics for future joint Nordic research in this area.Published: April 2016.