Reducing waste and inefficiency in the healthcare systems, increasing quality of patient care

In 2016, in the framework of the celebrations for the X European Patients’ Rights Day, Active Citizenship Network has carried out a research in order to gather good practices: concrete examples of actions aimed at reducing waste and inefficiencies in healthcare (waste caused, for example, by: unnecessary services; excessive administrative costs; inefficiently delivered services; prices set too high; fraud; missed prevention opportunities etc.. ) experienced in EU and no EU countries.

1. Geographical impact
This collection allowed us to receive 22 Good Practices.
They come from 10 different countries: Cyprus (1); Germany (1); Kosovo (1); Ireland (1); Italy (3); Netherlands (2); Poland (2); Spain (2); Sweden (3); United Kingdom (6).

2. Source of waste or inefficiency
Most of the reported good practices (19/22) cited as the main source of waste and inefficiency to fight the “inefficiently delivered services”.  The “missed prevention opportunities” and the “excessive administrative costs” are reported in 6 cases.
Three times has been cited the inappropriate “medicines use” and the “prices set too high” (for medicines, products, services, workers, etc).
Only three good practices reported about “unnecessary services” and no one about “fraud”.

3. Actors and promoters
The  principal actors of the gathered good practices are the “health professional”(14/22), followed by the “health care organizations” (12/22) and “Institution” directly involved in the development of healthcare services. An important role is also played by the universities, patients’ organizations and patients.
The secret of their success often lies in the ability to collaborate among private and public sector.

Read the full report