J Health Polit Policy Law
Published: October 2024
Context: The objective of this article is to explain the political factors determining the relatively weak performance of the Polish health care (HC) sector. This can be treated as a critical case for several reasons. First, the Poles are among the most unsatisfied patients in the European Union, with one of the lowest life expectancy levels. Second, Poland spends one of the lowest shares of gross domestic product on HC-related expenditures among OECD countries. Third, the country is facing medical personnel shortages.
Methods: The analysis is based on the mixed-methods approach. The authors rely on quantitative data outsourced from a survey, which is supplemented by the semistructured, in-depth interviews with selected key HC stakeholders representing patients' advocacy groups, medical personnel organizations, and high-level decision-makers.
Findings: The Polish HC system remains weak due to the postcommunist legacy in terms of organization, a short-term approach by politicians, and weak decision-making processes.
Conclusions: The HC policy inertia in Poland is determined by a group of interrelated political factors that effectively block the development of any positive reform.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1215/03616878-11257000 | DOI Listing |
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