A EUROPEAN METHOD TO COMPARE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES’ HEALTH CARE SYSTEM THE CHANGES IN THE EURO HEALTH CONSUMER INDEX (EHCI) IN VISEGRAD COUNTRIES

Abstract

In my study I present the health systems of the Visegrad countries, then I analyze and evaluate the impact of the changes in the health system of each country. For this analysis, I have chosen one of the European methodologies in order to compare European systems as objectively as possible.

The Euro Health Consumer Index (ECHI), started in 2005, assesses the performance of the national healthcare systems in 35 countries. Health Consumer Powerhouse LTD uses public statistics and results of independent research to calculate the index. It compares 6 main areas of study such as patient rights and patient information, access to care, treatment outcomes, range and reach of services, prevention, and the use of pharmaceuticals. Hungary’s achievement shows a definite downward tendency while that of Poland shows a modest downward tendency. Regarding the Czech Republic they present a countinnous good achievement. By contrast, Slovakia made significant positive changes over the past period.