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The Southeast Asia strategic health purchasing Registry gives an overview of the current landscape of healthcare purchasing in Southeast Asia. Developed through literature reviews and expert stakeholder interviews, the Registy is a first step to understanding the state of strategic purchasing in Southeast Asia and identifying common challenges and opportunities for ASEAN countries. 

Strategic purchasing refers to the efficient allocation of health resources to achieve health system goals.

Unlike passive purchasing – where providers are offered pre-determined budgets or reimbursed for bills they produce – strategic purchasing involves actively allocating budgets based on information on population health needs, provider performance and other data. 

Strategic purchasing therefore involves diverse functions. These include deciding what health services and goods to purchase; selecting providers and suppliers; setting obligations and incentives to providrs; analysing health outcomes and provider performance; exerting oversight over purchasers and providers to ensure accountability. 

Accordingly, the Southeast Asia strategic health purchasing Registry is composed of three sections: A) Governance, B) Legal and Policy, and C) Performance Monitoring. 

Part A of the registry focuses on GOVERNANCE. This includes the broad health financing system of a country; the stakeholders involved in health financing and strategic purchasing decisions; the market structure of national health purchasing agencies; and the governance criteria used by the main health purchasers to decide what to buy and how to govern their funds.  

Part B of the registry focuses on LEGAL AND POLICY landscapes. This includes specific regulations laying out the roles and mandates of purchasers and service providers; laws on public spending and health purchasing; regulations on government procurement (general and healthcare-specific); and responsibilities in enforcing contracts and regulations. 

Part C of the registry focuses on PERFORMANCE MONITORING. This includes how the performance of purchasers, providers and suppliers is evaluated; how performance incentives and feedback mechanisms take place; how analyses of health system performance and purchasing decisions are carried out; and which information management systems are used for this analysis.