Evaluation On Equality Of Outpatient And General Hospitals Resources Allocation In Poland

Research Article
Justyna Rój
DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2019.1002.3152
Subject: 
science
KeyWords: 
health care, outpatient care, hospital, equity, Gini coefficient, Poland.
Abstract: 

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outpatient and general hospitals resources distribution across regions of Poland between 2010 and 2017 and estimate the level of equity. This research by applying to Polish conditions will allow to fill in the gap in existing literature. Data was derived from the Knowledge Database Health and Health Care of Statistic Poland and Polish Statistical Yearbook. In purpose to examine the distribution of these resources against population size and geographic size in Poland, the Gini coefficient calculated based on the Lorenz Curve was engaged. This study has several major findings. Among others it was found that the geographical distribution of resources of all analyzed health care resources is less equitable then in case of population distribution. Also the worse situation was found in case of oncology as the increased of number of beds in such wards was accompanied by both the deterioration of equity in case of population distribution and geographical distribution. Thus this research provides some implications for policy and practice. As the main reason to establish National Health Fund (which meant the centralization of the system) in Poland was to to eliminate regional differences in access to health care, thus this research confirms that still some more corrective actions, in this field, should be undertaken.