Health Care Systems in Spain and Portugal – Economic Approach

Abstract

The article is a preliminary analysis of the economic conditions of health
systems in Spain and Portugal. It describes their organisational structures and
lists entities functioning in them. It presents changes that have taken place
in the economic situation of both countries in recent years (including the
impact of the global financial crisis that began in 2008) and the consequences
that these changes have had for their health policy. The article lists the
basic numbers referring to both systems and describes some organisational
solutions improving their effectiveness. It also presents elements derived
from before the democratic transformation, lowering this efficiency. Probably
the most important of them are separate ‘subsystems’ of health care for
some professional groups (including, for example, administration, the
judiciary and army employees), which collaborate with common health care,
but also hinder its uniform and clear operation. Probably to a large extent,
as a result of leaving these elements in both systems and the related lack
of sufficient optimisation of their operation, Portugal holds the 13th and
Spain the 19th position in the European ranking of health systems – the
Euro Health Consumer Index – examining these systems using fifty detailed
criteria. A permanent prescription, used in Spain for many years, is worthy
of more thorough research and transfer to the Polish healthcare system as it
significantly reduces doctors’ workload not directly related to treatment, and
consequently their shortage.