(SAN FRANCISCO, September 15, 2013) — Dr. Eric Ding, the Director of Epidemiology at Microclinic International, co-authored a study on universal healthcare coverage, which appeared online in Health Policy in August, 2013. His report “Evidenced Formal Coverage Index and universal healthcare enactment” is a longitudinal study of economic, social, and political predictors of 194 countries adopting universal healthcare.
In the abstract, Dr. Ding and his co-author Andrea Feigl write, “Determinants of universal healthcare (UHC) are poorly empirically understood. We undertook a comprehensive study of UHC development using a novel Evidenced Formal Coverage (EFC) index that combines three key UHC elements: legal framework, population coverage, and accessibility.” Dr. Ding, along with his co-author Andrea Feigl used data from 1880–2008 to investigate which “macro-economic, political, and social indicators are major longitudinal predictors of developing EFC globally, and in middle-income countries.” This study helps the reader better understand the social and political drivers of universal healthcare, especially for transitioning countries.
Read the Harvard School of Public Health article about the study.