An Interview with Dr. Elizabeth H. Bradley : Harvard College Global Health Review













An Interview with Dr. Elizabeth H. Bradley : Harvard College Global Health Review:



"HCGHR: What do you think an ideal health care system looks like? Dr. Bradley:  Well, you can never answer that quickly, but I would hope that the system promoted equity in health, and was integrated with social care and social services. So, we would look at the health of the population as determined not just by their medical care, but also by their social and behavioral [status], like what kind of occupation people have, how much money they have, what kind of education they are able to attain, and what kind of nutrition they have. So, an ideal health care system would recognize that there is a connection between the medical care system and the rest of our social contacts, and direct itself that way. I think that means that the medical care system and health care spending would be of sizes relative to the extent of social services. We have a pretty large medial care system now. So, I guess recognizing that health is determined by multiple determinants, and promoting equity would be critical. The last principle I would look for in a system is that the system was responsive to community voices and community needs. "




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