Question

Uncertainty enters into the maintenance and production of health in numerous ways, including (a) Whether and when individuals will get sick; (b) Whether a given treatment will work for a given patient; (c) Whether on average a treatment will work for a whole class of patients; (d) Whether a specific doctor is competent to deliver treatment. Pick any two of these and describe the major mechanisms (Institutional arrangements) that our society has created to deal with the uncertainty. (For example insurance and social plans).

Answer 1

The point (a) and (c) is taken for the discussion.

There are different institutional arrangements are done to help remove the uncertainty. The first mechanism is the establishment and implementation of public health initiatives that spreads awareness, among the people regarding different diseases, do necessary activities to prevent the outbreak of disease in a particular area and do regular visits to interact with the societies. It reduces the scope of people getting sick and people know when they are about to be sick so that they can go to doctors. The second initiative is the setting up a preventive care system that gives necessary medicines and let people know regarding the different health problems. It reduces the scope of people getting severely ill and they can recover fast. Institutions can also provide timely help if them know the problem in the beginning itself. Hence, uncertainty is reduced.

The third mechanism is the setting up R&D lab that tests the medicines and its general effectiveness upon the society. It helps institutions know that this particular drug for  a particular health care problem will work for everyone in general. Vaccination is the result of such a R&D work that is given to kids and children. The fourth mechanism is the development of health care information system where the impact of each drug in different problems is recorded and accordingly, the drugs are given so that positive impact is maximized.