Criteria for assessing policy discussion documents containing proposals for health reform

Abstract or Summary

This paper presents a guide for healthcare professionals and policymakers contributing to and assessing discussion documents and reports relevant to health policy. Our purposes are to: (1) help develop a more systematic approach to making written submissions and participating in deliberations; (2) provide criteria for constructively critiquing published discussion documents and reports and reaching an informed opinion on them; and more generally, (3) suggest an approach for participating in the policy development and review process. With this in mind, we propose a set of fundamental questions to pose in critically assessing a document or set of recommendations and framing submissions to deliberative or consultative bodies seeking responses to prominent reports. To illustrate, we have applied these questions to one of the structural options around Commonwealth responsibility for healthcare funding, policy and regulation, as discussed in the Final Report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, A Healthier Future for All Australians.