Results-Based Financing in Healthcare : Developing an RBF Approach for Healthcare in Different Contexts: the Cases of Mali and Ghana

Many health sector representatives from low- and middle-income countries are interested in introducing results-based financing (RBF) in their own health systems after its success in Rwanda. The concept looks attractive, because it seems obvious that paying health service providers only after delivering predefined and verified results should lead to more results. But implementation frequently proves difficult if this model is just dropped into a local context. This book demonstrates how to get started. It will support countries or districts that are interested in crafting their own RBF. By starting from the generic principles of RBF, the contributors then propose eight steps to arrive at an approach that responds to any national context. Each of these steps comes with the necessary tools and instruments. This book addresses different interests: policymakers will find that performance/pay could become an integral part of their healthcare policies; developing partners who operate through budget support systems can find an opportunity to increase the traceability and effectiveness of funding; NGO workers out in the field will discover how to be actively involved in providing healthcare services. Written in a refreshingly straightforward way, the guidance and principles in this book will complement the work of professionals in many different situations. This unique approach will help both to update the understanding of those already working in the area and to guide the path of those who are seeking to design their own model.