Vrangbaek Karsten
Professor, Departments of Political Science and Public Health, Director of Center for Health Economics and Policy (CHEP), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Healthc Pap. 2016;16(1):21-26. doi: 10.12927/hcpap.2016.24769.
Denmark is a small Northern European country with an extensive welfare state and a strong commitment to maintaining a universal healthcare system. Like the other countries in the Nordic region, Denmark has a long tradition of democratically governed local and regional governments with extensive responsibilities in organizing welfare state services. The Danish healthcare system has demonstrated an ability to increase productivity, while at the same time maintaining a high level of patient satisfaction. Ongoing reforms have contributed to these results, as well as a firm commitment to innovation and coordination. Regions and municipalities in Denmark are governed by directly elected democratic councils. The Danish case is thus an example of democratic decentralization, but within a framework of national coordination and fiscal control. In spite of the difference in size and historical traditions there are also many similarities between Canada and Denmark, particularly in terms of health and social policy goals and aspirations, and in terms of the commitment to a comprehensive, universal healthcare system. These similarities provide interesting opportunities for comparison.
丹麦是北欧的一个小国，拥有广泛的福利国家体系，并坚定致力于维持全民医疗保健系统。与北欧地区的其他国家一样，丹麦有着民主治理地方和地区政府的悠久传统，这些政府在组织福利国家服务方面承担着广泛责任。丹麦的医疗保健系统展现出提高生产率的能力，同时保持着较高的患者满意度。正在进行的改革促成了这些成果，以及对创新与协调的坚定承诺。丹麦的地区和市政当局由直接选举产生的民主议会治理。因此，丹麦的情况是民主分权的一个例子，但处于国家协调和财政控制的框架之内。尽管加拿大和丹麦在规模和历史传统上存在差异，但在健康和社会政策目标及抱负方面，以及在对全面、全民医疗保健系统的承诺方面，也有许多相似之处。这些相似之处为比较提供了有趣的机会。
