Droit de cité(s) for heath Contributions from the approach of economics of convention in healthcare

This paper summarizes the contributions of one of the main currents in the political economy of health: the economics of conventions (EC) with the patient as our guiding light. The purpose of this approach is to recognize a plurality of values by rejecting the monolithic approach of mainstream economics in order to take seriously the primordiality of health, essential to individual and collective well-being. EC offers an outlook of patients' ability to judge the quality of care. At the same time, when it comes to healthcare policy, EC provides an explanation of the rise of what we describe as an industrial-market logic. The use of EC helps us to understand why, despite the force of criticism; capitalism can fully progress in the field of healthcare.