Does contracting out services improve access to care in low- and middle-income countries?

Contracting out of health services is a formal contractual relationship between the government and a non state provider to provide a range of clinical or preventive services to a specified population. A contract document usually specifies the type, quantity and period of time during wich the services will be provided on behalf of the government. Contracting in is the contracting of external management to run public services, which is another particular type of contracting.