A pilot study examines current changes in the delivery of health care in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, and the consequences of those changes for northern residents. While the extent of privatization of health care in the Nordic countries is very small, it is increasing steadily, along with national and local experiments in managed competition. This study by an international team of social scientists focuses on health care financing, organization, and delivery as seen by physicians, health care managers, and residents/patients in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Methods will include mail questionnaires (translated into the local language); interviews; and compilation and analysis of comparative data. The results of this pilot study will be used to frame a longitudinal study of health care delivery systems in the north.
