To make the most efficient use of limited resources for healthcare, governments must have access to information – the healthcare needs of the population and the budget available to address these, utilize this information to decide what to buy (health benefit package), who to buy from (provider selection), what to pay (tariff), how to pay (provider payment methods) and then monitor these functions to ensure that they continue to meet the initial objectives of revenue allocation. This is strategic purchasing – the deliberate use of information for purchasing decisions. Read more here.