But they are a blunt tool for improving confidence in the financial system, which remains vulnerable to shocks.

ECONOMIST: Alan Greenspan��s miracle cure

The Federal Reserve buys bonds as a way of increasing the money supply and improving liquidity in the financial system, in the hope of sparking economic growth and supporting employment.

BBC: US Fed's Ben Bernanke hails benefits of stimulus

It added hospitals needed to prepare for the changes by improving financial management, making sure all staff understood the new system and ensuring good data was available on what was happening within the hospital.

BBC: NEWS | Health | Warning over NHS funds shake-up

The leading doctors and the hospital system adopted measures to blunt harmful financial incentives, and they took collective responsibility for improving the sum total of patient care.

NEWYORKER: The Cost Conundrum