In today’s society, healthcare systems are increasingly under stress: aging populations
and rising prevalence of chronic disease, together with budgetary and personnel
constraints, are leading to a situation where demands outweigh capacity.
Concurrently, negotiated international political and social agreements such as the
Millennium Development Goals for 2015 (WHO 2000) call for equal access to
affordable, high-quality, and in some cases personalized healthcare services.
Providing high-quality services to more people using less personnel and resources
not only means adapting governance structures and strategies, but also prioritizing
how the available resources for healthcare are used and anticipating future needs