Poland’s Health Reform: Politics, Markets and Informal Payments

2002 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
IAIN McMENAMIN ◽  
VIRPI TIMONEN
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Health Reform ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
Informal Payments ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Early Experiences ◽  
Economic Climate ◽  
Recent Reform ◽  
National Governments

This article analyses the pre-reform Polish healthcare system, the theory of the recent reform, the early experiences, and the likely future developments. The reform aims to preserve a state-guaranteed egalitarian healthcare system while ensuring optimal use of resources by the introduction of market-type mechanisms. These mechanisms cannot function as intended while sub-national governments, which have little incentive to support restructuring, remain a vital part of the system. An even greater impediment to the proper functioning of the system is the practice of informal payments. Therefore, smaller than expected gains in efficiency and equity, together with demographic and technological pressures on health costs and a political and economic climate which is unlikely to deliver large increases in public spending, are likely to result in a more privatised and unequal health system than is intended.

scholarly journals Investigation of informal payments and related factors in Iran state hospitals after health system reform plan implementation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Khammarnia ◽  
M Zangane Bayegi ◽  
F Setoodezadeh ◽  
M Shah Husseini ◽  
M Peyvand
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Health Reform ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
System Reform ◽  
Informal Payment ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Informal Payments ◽  
Reform Plan

Background: Informal payments in many developing countries, are a serious obstacle towards to improving healthcare system and has negative effects on the function of healthcare system. In order to reduce the unofficial payments and direct payments from patient's pocket, the health reform plan executed. This study was conducted to assess the Informal payments in the hospital related to government. Methods: This study was a survey based on descriptive analytic method in Zahedan University of medical science in 2017. The study population included all patients hospitalization to the two genera) hospitals of Zahedan in 2017, in which 500 patients were selected by multistage cluster sampling. The data collection tool was a standard questionnaire that was conducted by interview method. Data were analyzed by using spss v22 and descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Results: in this study,98%  patients were male, 484(96.8%) lived in the urban area, about 2% had informal payment, the average informal payment to nurses were 300 thousand tomans.The highest number of informal payment was in the maternity ward with 50%.The doctors didn't have any informal payment, and all of people disagreed this type of payments. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that the rate of informal payments in the hospitals related to government in Southeast of Iran after execution of health reform plan, Is minimal. Poor economic status of the patients and well executed health reform plan are the reasons for minimal informal payments. Solutions including constant supervision on employees and realization of the health costs and proportion of insurance companies are effective steps towards elimination of informal payments.  

Fiscal adjustment may prove painful in Uruguay

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Trade Union ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
High Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Finances ◽  
Fiscal Adjustment ◽  
Economic Climate ◽  
The Government ◽  
First Time ◽  
Economic Outlook

Subject Uruguay's economic outlook. Significance The government has determined a fiscal adjustment, with tax increases for middle- and high-income earners, delays in public spending plans and a reform of military pensions, in a bid to address worsening public finances. It is the first time that the leftist Frente Amplio (FA), in government since 2005, has faced an adverse economic climate. Impacts Austerity in a context of 'stagflation' will generate political and trade union tensions. Rising unemployment will drive a deterioration in real family incomes. Growth will remain paltry this year and next.

scholarly journals Does Australia have the appropriate health reform agenda to close the gap in Indigenous health?

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Donato ◽  
Leonie Segal
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Health Reform ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
Reform Strategy ◽  
Performance Gains

This paper provides an analysis of the national Indigenous reform strategy – known as Closing the Gap – in the context of broader health system reforms underway to assess whether current attempts at addressing Indigenous disadvantage are likely to be successful. Drawing upon economic theory and empirical evidence, the paper analyses key structural features necessary for securing system performance gains capable of reducing health disparities. Conceptual and empirical attention is given to the features of comprehensive primary healthcare, which encompasses the social determinants impacting on Indigenous health. An important structural prerequisite for securing genuine improvements in health outcomes is the unifying of all funding and policy responsibilities for comprehensive primary healthcare for Indigenous Australians within a single jurisdictional framework. This would provide the basis for implementing several key mutually reinforcing components necessary for enhancing primary healthcare system performance. The announcement to introduce a long-term health equality plan in partnership with Aboriginal people represents a promising development and may provide the window of opportunity needed for implementing structural reforms to primary healthcare. What is known about the topic? Notwithstanding the intention of previous policies, considerable health disparity exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Australia has now embarked on its most ambitious national Indigenous health reform strategy, but there has been little academic analysis of whether such reforms are capable of eliminating health disadvantage for Aboriginal people. What does the paper add? This paper provides a critical analysis of Indigenous health reforms to assess whether such policy initiatives are likely to be successful and outlines key structural changes to primary healthcare system arrangements that are necessary to secure genuine system performance gains and improve health outcomes for Indigenous Australians. What are the implications for practitioners? For policymakers, the need to establish genuine partnership and engagement between Aboriginal people and the Australian government in pursuing a national Indigenous reform agenda is of critical importance. The establishment of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples provides the opportunity for policymakers to give special status to Indigenous Australians in health policy development and create the institutional breakthrough necessary for effecting primary healthcare system change.

scholarly journals The Kallikrates vs the Kapodistrias Reforms in Greece: A Story of Moderate Success

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-76
Author(s):  
Vasiliki Kalimeri
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Political Situation ◽  
Government Sector ◽  
Recent Reform ◽  
Government Reforms ◽  
The International Monetary Fund

Abstract This article aims to analyse and evaluate the implementation of Greek local government reforms based on the surrounding economic and political situation. The main two reforms in question, the Kapodistrias and the Kallikrates programmes, both tried to modernise the state under the influence of Greece’s European Union membership. Though revolutionary for its era, the Kapodistrias programme soon reached its limits. The newer Kallikrates reform, adopted under pressure from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund due to the economic crisis, has sought to reduce public spending and create a leaner state. Nevertheless, largely because of its external origins, even this more recent reform has failed to improve the deteriorating Greek local government sector.

scholarly journals The Importance Of Business Research Skills In Entrepreneurial Orientation For Digital Transformation

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 403-412
Author(s):  
Ileana Hamburg
Keyword(s):  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Entrepreneurial Success ◽  
Business Research ◽  
Commercial Activity ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
Economic Climate ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
National Governments ◽  
Significant Attention

In recent years area of entrepreneurship has gained significant attention nationally and internationally. It is one of the main skills priorities of national governments and EU council.  Traditionally associated with commercial activity, entrepreneurship has gained traction as a key competence necessary to allow society as a whole to adapt to the changing economic climate. An important aspect particularly in the digital transformation is entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as the proactive nature of businesses of products and services in the market seeking for new innovations by even investing into it in spite of the high risk following it (Miller, 1993). It seems that organizations guided by a combination of market, technology, entrepreneurial learning (EL) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) are well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by digital technologies.  Small and medium sized companies (SMEs) greatly contribute to employment and wealth in Europe but there are limited studies into the specific skills needs required for SMEs into the future.  Skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and entrepreneurship allow learners to adapt to changes, communication, digital skills and teamwork allow learners to collaborate and exploit technology in the changing workplace.  Research is a key element of entrepreneurial success, but how these skills particularly workplace-oriented ones improve entrepreneurial orientation has not been widely explored in the literature.  This paper explores the importance of EO and entrepreneurship today, the skills required to allow our society to become more entrepreneurial and identifies the potential of workplace research skills to develop entrepreneurial capacity in all facets of work, particularly within SMEs.

Russian healthcare may pose Putin problems in 2016

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Health Reform ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Healthcare ◽  
Reform Plan ◽  
News Outlet

Subject Russia's healthcare system. Significance By the end of 2017, Moscow's authorities plan to fire an additional 14,000 workers as part of the government's health reform plan, according to leaked documents seen by Russian news outlet RBC. As budgets are squeezed by the huge rearmament programme and low oil prices, the Kremlin is striving to cut expenditure, attempting to disguise this as health optimisation. Discontent is rising among medical professionals who are being over-stretched; hospitals are closing, numbers of beds decreasing and waiting lists growing. The reform of the Russian national healthcare system, undertaken in adverse economic conditions, threatens to decrease the quality and accessibility of healthcare. Impacts The working population's poor health has a direct negative impact on the economy, increasing paid sick days and reducing productivity. Health reforms have reduced doctor-patient appointments to around 12-15 minutes. The population's distrust of doctors will need to be addressed to improve the quality of the healthcare.

Information Networks

2011 ◽  
pp. 170-186
Author(s):  
Roy Rada
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Information Networks ◽  
Major Step ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Consumer Networks ◽  
National Information ◽  
National Governments

The connection of components of the healthcare system is a major step in improvement of the healthcare system. Through networking, different entities can better coordinate their efforts. This chapter on information networks examines some of the human, organizational aspects of networking and begins with e-commerce networks, goes to supply chain management, and then goes to community and consumer networks. Consumerism is often touted as a way that patients can improve the efficacy of the healthcare system by becoming proactive. Some national governments are trying to improve healthcare by creating national information networks.

Analysis of oscillations in continuous expenditures and their multiple causalities: a case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Roberto Telles ◽  
Andrea Regina Burakoski da Cunha ◽  
Ana Maria Sawaya Chueiri ◽  
Kamila Kuromiya
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
Random Variables ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Services Sector ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Expenditure System ◽  
Public Money ◽  
Great Complexity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the dynamics of public spending in the continuous services sector of the Secretary of State for Education of Paraná. Design/methodology/approach Understand the dynamics of public spending in view of the oscillations between years that these expenses present, understanding the expenditure system as a non-linear and complex system in which the causes that generate oscillations in the annual expenses are originated by several random variables. Findings It was found that several variables affect a public service. Many times policies or other actions try to achieve efficiency in controlling or containing public financial resources. It is not uncommon such actions do not have any determinant or robust effect at their prior objectives due to the nature of phenomena. Research limitations/implications Government expenditures constitute an event of great complexity with respect to the magnitude of financial units and the budget flow involved in each of these units. In this sense, all the financial units that compose the great public expenditure scenario are inserted in heterogeneous contexts considering the dynamics of geographic, social, cultural and political administrative space of a State. Practical implications The methods exposed in the paper are important tools to verify how policy, financial, administrative and other dimensions of actions taken influenced a continuous expenditure system. The main objective remained in identifying the strong influence of actions toward random variables that might affect the event. Social implications Public money from taxes is used for policy purposes. Therefore, the best use of resources, financial, natural and human is needs for any public service. Originality/value The paper presents an important pace to achieve a better measurement of public continuous expenditures as well as strategies for management regarding the complexity of events within the context.

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