DSI, Denmark
Commissioning, planning and purchasing are different stages in the process of getting from a strategy or an idea to providing a service.
In the commissioning process, an agent will be granted authority to undertake certain functions, for example determining priorities within the defined objective. The second step in the process is the planning process. In a HTA perspective, this could involve an assessment of status quo in the given country or region and a review of strategies and services that deliver the most health gains for the patient and the best value for money for the given context. Purchasing involves choosing how to deliver the strategy and services and selecting the most appropriate service providers.