AJPH
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Keane, C.
Right arrow Articles by Ricci, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Keane, C.
Right arrow Articles by Ricci, E.
Related Collections
Right arrow Health Care Facilities/Services
Right arrow Managed Care
Right arrow Health Professionals
Right arrow Access to Care
Right arrow Public Health Practice

American Journal of Public Health, Vol 91, Issue 4 611-617, Copyright © 2001 by American Public Health Association

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Privatization and the scope of public health: a national survey of local health department directors

C Keane, J Marx and E Ricci
Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa., USA. crkcity@pitt.edu

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to obtain and analyze nationally representative data on (1) privatization of local health department services, (2) local health department directors' beliefs and perspectives on the desirable role and focus of health departments, and (3) the influence of these views on privatization practices. METHODS: A stratified representative national sample of 380 local health department directors was drawn, and 347 directors were interviewed by telephone. Logistic regression established the independent effects of various factors on decisions to privatize. RESULTS: Almost three quarters (73%) of the local health departments privatized public health services of some type. The 12% of the directors who believed that local health departments should be restricted to the core public health functions and move entirely out of direct provision of personal health care were more likely to privatize services. The 77% of the directors who believed that local health departments should be involved in an increasing array of social problems were more likely to privatize. CONCLUSIONS: Privatization has quietly and quickly become commonplace in public health, and privatization practices are intimately related to divergent conceptions of public health and the role of local health departments.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 International Review of Administrative SciencesHome page
D. Asenova, W. Stein, C. McCann, and A. Marshall
Private sector participation in health and social care services in Scotland: assessing the risk
International Review of Administrative Sciences, June 1, 2007; 73(2): 275 - 292.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Public HealthHome page
S. E. Gollust and P. D. Jacobson
Privatization of Public Services: Organizational Reform Efforts in Public Education and Public Health
Am J Public Health, October 1, 2006; 96(10): 1733 - 1739.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Public HealthHome page
C. Keane, J. Marx, and E. Ricci
Services Privatized in Local Health Departments: A National Survey of Practices and Perspectives
Am J Public Health, August 1, 2002; 92(8): 1250 - 1254.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Public HealthHome page
C. Keane, J. Marx, E. Ricci, and G. Barron
The Perceived Impact of Privatization on Local Health Departments
Am J Public Health, July 1, 2002; 92(7): 1178 - 1180.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2001 by the American Public Health Association