On 21 November 2018, two indices based on data from the FutureProofing Healthcare platform were presented: the Health Systems Sustainability Index and the Breast Cancer Index. The indices are used to compare the health systems of all European Union countries and aim to start a discussion about the needs of patients and the challenges facing healthcare in each country.
- Health Systems Sustainability Index and Breast Cancer Index are sources of unique information on the current state of health systems in all 28 EU Member States, enabling the identification of areas for improvement in the future.
- The publication of the Indices launches a pan-European debate on the need to build truly sustainable health systems to meet the future needs of patients.
- There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the challenges of sustainable health systems. It is crucial to move away from conversations focusing solely on health care spending, as solving the spending issue is not enough to solve the existing problems in the health care sector.
The Sustainability Index for Health Systems and the Breast Cancer Index are based on data collected on the FutureProofing Healthcare platform, the first interactive platform for benchmarking the current state of healthcare systems in all EU Member States. The indicators contained in the Indices and the specific evaluation parameters used to measure the performance of healthcare systems were developed by an international team of independent experts.[1]
Health Systems Sustainability Index is a unique source of information to identify areas for improvement. The index provides a unique picture of the current state of 28 European healthcare systems, based on a broad set of data. The compilation also includes a separate, in-depth analysis of the state of breast cancer care, resulting in a Breast Cancer Index.
Poland in the FutureProofing Healthcare Indexes
In the Index of Sustainability of Healthcare Systems, Poland was ranked 25th (out of 28 countries) with a score of 41 points out of a possible 100, and in the Breast Cancer Index, Poland was ranked 22nd with 48 points. Poland's place in comparison with the countries of the European community and the usefulness of the Indices in building a sustainable value-based health care system were assessed by a panel of Polish experts who worked on interpreting the results for Poland.
Breast Cancer Index - Results for Poland
Sustainability Index - Results for Poland
Sustainability Index - Results for Poland_one pager
The independent panel of experts included: Beata Ambroziewicz - vice-president of the Polish Coalition of Oncology Patients, dr. Małgorzata Gałązka-Sobotka - Director of the Institute of Healthcare Management, Lazarski University, Krystyna Wechmann - President of the Polish Coalition of Oncology Patients, Bogusław Chrabota - Editor-in-Chief of the Rzeczpospolita daily newspaper, Prof. Ryszard Gellert - Director of the Medical Centre for Postgraduate Education, Dr. James Gierczynski - expert at the Institute of Healthcare Management, Lazarski University, Victor Janicki - Roche CEO, Dr. Adam Kozierkiewicz - health care expert, prof. Tadeusz Pieńkowski - President of the Polish Society for Breast Cancer Research, Dr. Piotr Warczyński - Former Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Health, Warsaw Medical University.
The Health Systems Sustainability Index is an invaluable source of knowledge about European health systems. To date, there have been no objective and consistent indices that provide the possibility of comparing health systems across Member States - stateddr Piotr Warczyński. The development of the Indices makes it possible to analyse the health systems of individual member states on an unprecedented scale. As underlined by Dr. Jakub Gierczyński, International comparisons based on reliable and real data are the basis for the evolution of the health care system in Poland, guaranteeing the achievement of the main objective - prolonging the healthy life of Poles, improving health-related quality of life and reducing social inequalities in health.
Dr Adam Kozierkiewicz he noted, that the Performance Index, like the one presented today, shows familiar data sets in an attractive way. It is usually difficult to attract the attention of the general public, and behind that of politicians, to 'dry' indicators. It succeeds in the case of indices aggregating multiple indicators and ranking entities from best to worst. In this slightly entertaining way, tinged with competition, a serious discussion about the purpose of the health system can be launched. The importance of the Index was also stressed by Beata Ambroziewicz. Indexes can help to break down the mental barrier of fear of evaluation and comparison and make it clear that measuring is a natural part of the learning process. Indexes serve the purpose of allowing us to set a baseline and see what we can improve, rather than criticise for poor performance - she added.
During the presentation of the Indices, Prof. Ryszard Gellert explained that through the Indices, doctors can better understand the context of their activities. The components of the index indicate that the size of the country and the type of health system significantly affect the final position in the Indices. However, healthcare performance does not depend only on the index components. At the same time, it should be emphasised that Poland is systematically implementing corrective measures in healthcare, e.g. it has increased the limit of admissions to medical studies, thanks to which we will be able to fill the shortage of staff. - explained the expert.
The indices show that the issue of health care sustainability is a complex one, influenced by a number of different factors. Innovative solutions are only one element to effectively address today's health system challenges. It is crucial to move away from conversations focusing solely on spending and to base the public debate on the values the system delivers to society. The Health Systems Sustainability Index can be useful in developing value-based healthcare metrics. It is much easier to discuss the concept of an outcome-driven system by referring to specific parameters that describe the quality of care and patient experience. It is encouraging to see that, although there are many areas that need to be remedied, there are also those that show the positive effects of the changes being implemented. The Index can be a very useful tool for monitoring the effectiveness of interventions in the system. Comparing our results against Europe shows the distance we need to cover to bring our healthcare in many dimensions closer to the average European level - highlighted Dr Małgorzata Gałązka-Sobotka.
The aim of the Indices is to open up an independent and autonomous discussion on the possibilities of creating truly sustainable health systems based on facts, data and good practice that take into account and respond to the real needs of the patient. said Victor Janicki, Roche's CEO.
Analysing the results of the Breast Cancer Index prof. Tadeusz Pieńkowski noted that Poland's performance in the context of palliative care is an excellent example of good systemic solutions in breast cancer care. It has to be said that home hospices work very well all over Poland. It is a great example of the fact that if the system solutions are good, they always have a positive effect. he elaborated.
Prevention remains an area in need of support. A pressing problem for breast cancer treatment is the low number of patients presenting for screening and the limited accessibility to oncology centres. Patients emphasise that the distance from the oncology centre is particularly important to them. Analyses show that this often has a decisive impact on whether to start or continue treatment. It is also extremely important to educate the public, which is still at a very low level. We therefore need to work together to develop solutions that increase awareness of health risks and diseases - she said Krystyna Wechmann. By contrast, Bogusław Chrabota emphasised that the Index is not just an assessment of the status quo. Above all, it is a signpost to the future. It helps to understand what the weaknesses of the Polish health care system are and how to combat them. All my professional life I have focused on reflections on the improvement of the Polish state. This is also one of the important mottoes of the Rzeczpospolita daily. That is why I am here - he explained.
Against the backdrop of an ageing Europe and an increase in the incidence of chronic diseases, experts recognised the need to ensure the sustainability of health systems, through increased efficiency, adequate funding and health accessibility in line with international standards.
The Health Systems Sustainability Index and the Breast Cancer Index include more than 2,400 data on 83 individual health indicators taken from public sources (e.g. WHO, OECD, Eurostat) in 28 European Union Member States.
We encourage you to take a closer look at the Indices and the individual evaluation parameters at www.FutureProofingHealthcare.com.
We invite you to discuss the Index on the portal or on Twitter FutureProofingHealthcare Poland.
[1] The international panel of experts included: Mary Harney - former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health in Ireland, Martine Piccart - Professor of Oncology at Lube de Bruxelles University, former President of the European Society of Clinical Oncology and Lydia Makaroff - Director of the European Coalition of Cancer Patients, Birgit Beger - Managing Director, European Cancer Organisation, Bogi Eliasen - Associate Partner, Copenhagen Institute for Future Research, Elisabeth Kasilingam - Managing Director, European Multiple Sclerosis Platform, Denis Horgan - Executive Director, European Alliance for Personalised Medicine