Improving the efficiency and outcomes of the Slovak health-care system

Claude Giorno and Kristina Londáková
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Kristina Londáková: Behavioural Insights Team

No 1404, OECD Economics Department Working Papers from OECD Publishing

Abstract: Despite improvements over the past few decades, Slovak health outcomes remains poor compared with most other OECD countries, even after controlling for differences in per capita income and other social, cultural and lifestyle factors. Disparities in access to care and health outcomes between the Roma and the rest of the population are large. Moreover, the health-care system is a source of general discontent because of high out-of-pocket payments, long waiting lists for some medical services and widely perceived mismanagement of public health-care spending. Health-care spending is currently about in line with the country's standard of living. However, improving the efficiency of this sector is key: meeting the rising demand for medical services in the coming decades while containing government spending to maintain sound public finances will be challenging. The most pressing issues to be addressed concern: enhancing the efficiency and quality of primary care; addressing the shortage of nurses and replacing the large number of retiring physicians; modernising hospital infrastructure and management; further tightening control over pharmaceutical and other ancillary spending; developing a comprehensive strategy for long-term care; promoting better care access for the Roma population; and improving lifestyles through well-designed public health and disease-prevention policies.

Keywords: generic drugs; health policy; medical demography; medical prevention; pharmaceutical expenditure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I11 I13 I14 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-07-19
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-tra
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