Announce, brand, repeat: the illusion of Australian health reform

Abstract

Health reform announcements can signal progress before improvements in care are demonstrated. Drawing on Baudrillard’s account of sign value, we examine how visible policy achievements can acquire authority independently of clinical benefit. My Health Record illustrates the distinction between implementation, use and outcomes. We connect established improvement principles to four questions about resource allocation, duplication, clinical work and public accountability. The aim is to make claims of reform answerable to evidence of improvement.