Allocation of healthcare resources: the case for health promotion.

Abstract

The issue of healthcare resource allocation is examined from the macro perspective with the view to building a case for health promotion and prevention. The author suggests a health promotion framework as an alternative, or at least a complementary approach, to resource allocation, with the potential, over the long term, to slow the growth of healthcare costs. Supportive and opposing arguments are presented for the case of health promotion. The author concludes with a synthesis of a new perspective for nursing in the struggle to allocate healthcare resources in a fair and just manner.