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Commercialism and Healthcare

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Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics

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Abstract

A good health system aims to deliver the best possible care to the individual patient while at the same time being responsive to the health needs of the entire population it serves. For many health systems worldwide, resources are an important limitation. Whereas for some more emphasis on market mechanisms and entrepreneurial elements helps improve efficiency and contain cost, others argue that commercialism and profit orientation in medicine are an important cost driver. Similar controversies exist with regard to improvements in quality and fairness of healthcare delivery.

This entry reflects on some historical developments – in particular a move toward embracing medicine as a business at least in some healthcare systems. It proceeds to clarify concepts at the interface of medicine and economics and distinguishes the notions of “commercialism,” “consumerism,” and “economism.” In a next step it takes stock of key points in the ethical debate on commercialism.

A keen awareness of potential pitfalls – deprofessionalization, conflicts of interest, and compromises in quality and equity of care and loss of patient orientation and patient trust – can help us harness market forces in a way and to a degree that is appropriate for the respective culture and context.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland

    Nikola Biller-Andorno

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  1. Nikola Biller-Andorno
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Correspondence to Nikola Biller-Andorno .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Duquesne University Center for Healthcare Ethics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Henk ten Have

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Biller-Andorno, N. (2015). Commercialism and Healthcare. In: ten Have, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_99-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_99-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05544-2

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