Assessment of the Health Care System in Poland and Other OECD Countries Using the Hellwig Method

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 13;19(24):16733. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416733.

Abstract

The health care system is a key element in the functioning of any country. However, depending on the level of funding, the number of medical staff and their availability, there are significant discrepancies in the health care systems of different countries. This article presents a picture of the Polish health care system compared to the systems of other selected OECD countries. The comparison was made on the basis of selected indicators concerning financing, medical and nursing staff as well as patient satisfaction with the availability and quality of healthcare. The aim of this article is to analyze the Polish health care system and compare it with other selected OECD countries' health care systems. A literature review, secondary data analysis and statistical analyses were used as the research method. The ranking was prepared using Hellwig's linear ordering method. Ten indicators related to financing, medical and nursing staff, and residents' opinions on the availability and quality of medical services were selected for the analysis. The presented results clearly indicated that Norway, Germany and Switzerland have the best health care systems. The Polish system takes one of the last places in developed classification. The conducted analysis indicates the need to introduce changes to the health care system and the need to implement solutions from countries where health care systems have been indicated as the best.

Keywords: health care system; health care systems ranking; indicators of health care systems; polish health care system.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Germany
  • Humans
  • Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development*
  • Patient Satisfaction*
  • Poland
  • Research Design

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.