International Society on
Priorities in Health Care
The International Society on Priorities in Health Care was formed in 1996 following the first international conference on this topic held in Stockholm. The purpose of the society is to strengthen the theory and practice of priority setting in health care. It provides a forum in which researchers, practitioners and others involved in priority setting can come together to exchange ideas and experience. The society places particular importance on getting the results of research into practice and encouraging practitioners to learn about different approaches to priority setting. This includes drawing on the experience of those involved in priority setting or affected by it for example:
- policy makers
- health professionals
- managers
- patients
- the media
- the public
- researchers working in the fieldThe society seeks to promote the application and dissemination of good practices in priority setting and it works towards the achievement of a more informed public understanding of priority setting by ensuring that its activities are communicated to as wide an audience as possible.
A conference is held every two years bringing together delegates from different parts of the world. The 4th International Conference on Priorities in Health Care was held in Oslo in September 2002. The 5th International Conference is due to take place in 2004 in Wellington, New Zealand.