Efficiency of home care: Notes for an economic approach to resource allocation

Home-delivered health-related services are not valued for themselves but ar e, rather, highly customized inputs that can be used in the production of s everal alternative "commodities" ultimately demanded by consumers. These va lued commodities are the restoration, improvement, or maintenance of health and functional status that can be produced by home-delivered care land by alternative services) and the everyday support of daily functioning at home . If we can describe how inputs into the production of these two commoditie s are allocated, it may be possible to make judgments about whether home-de livered care and other services would produce more value if they were alloc ated differently.