Health Policy - The best evidence for better policies

Health Policy aims to inform discussions about how to improve health policies by publishing high quality research articles with clear policy implications that are relevant for an international audience. It intends to enhance communication between (1) researchers analysing health systems, health policies, and health reforms and (2) legislators, decision-makers and professionals concerned with developing and implementing these policies. Health Policy is an interdisciplinary journal at the interface between health policy, health systems research, health services research, health economics, health care management, political and policy sciences, public health, and related disciplines. The focus is on high-income countries, primarily outside the US.

More background on Health Policy's aims and scope is provided in this editorial (Quentin et al. 2023).

Health Policy publishes articles with the following attributes:

(1) Topic: research that addresses a clear and policy relevant research question with a focus on health systems, health policies or health reforms.
(2) Regional scope: a focus on high-income countries, primarily outside the US.
(3) Methods: adequate application of quantitative and/or qualitative methods, explained in a language that is comprehensible for a broad readership from different disciplines.
(4) Content: original research or reviews that focus on policy evaluations, analyses of policy processes, cross-country comparative policy assessments, and descriptions of individual reform experiences.
(5) Authorship: written by researchers and/or policymakers from a range of different disciplines.
(6) Policy relevance: research findings that have direct implications for and the potential to contribute to better health policies.
(7) International relevance: research that has implications for policy-makers and researchers from several countries.