The 'inverse care law', described by Julian Tudor Hart in 1971, states that:

• A Higher quality medical care is more effective when applied to patients with lower disease severity
• B The availability of good medical care tends to vary inversely with the need for it in the population served ✓
• C Preventive care has an inverse relationship with curative care costs
• D Health inequality increases inversely with per capita health spending

Explanation

Julian Tudor Hart's 'inverse care law' (1971, The Lancet) states that 'the availability of good medical care tends to vary inversely with the need for it in the population served.' Communities with the highest burden of disease and worst health status (often poorest, most remote) receive the least — and lowest quality — medical care, while affluent, healthy populations with less need command the best resources. This principle underlies the justification for targeted health programmes (RSBY, Ayushman Bharat, NHM focus on EAG states), equity-based resource allocation, and the concept of progressive universalism in health systems.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.