ARE HEALTH CARE PROCEDURES ALWAYS VALUABLE TO PATIENTS?

Published Oct 7, 2014
Ljubljana, Slovenia - In 2009, the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (HIIS) introduced the national tender for health care programs. The goal of the national tender was to increase the access to health care services to patients by introducing price competition among health care providers for defined programs. Researchers from the Institute for Economic Research in Slovenia measured the gain in health as judged by patients themselves in four health care programs carried out on a national level: hip replacement, hernia surgery, carpal tunnel release, and vein surgery. The research was performed among different providers in Slovenia who were included in the national tender providing selected health care procedures to the population. The subjective quality of each procedure measured by EQ-5D revealed big differences in the quality among the providers. The results of the study showed the usefulness of health care procedures in impacting the quality of life of patients as judged by patients themselves. Alarmingly, many procedures not only did not enhance the patients’ quality of life, but actually decreased it. More research, including other indicators besides the EQ-5D, is needed to confirm the findings; nevertheless, it is important to always listen to the patients in outcome research. Based on the results of the linear regression models, researchers Valentina Prevolnik Rupel, PhD, and Marko Ogorevc, PhD, predicted the health-related outcome of optimal patient allocation, as if each patient visited “the best provider.” The best provider was chosen on the basis of the highest regression coefficient for each selected program. Altogether, the effect due to optimal patient allocation was estimated at 0.84 QALY per patient. The full study, “Use of the EQ-5D Instrument and Value Scale in Comparing Health States of Patients in Four Health Care Programs among Health Care Providers,” is published in Value in Health Regional Issues.

Related Stories

Value in Health Regional Issues Expands Editorial Scope and Reveals Plans to Transition to Gold Open Access Model

Jan 23, 2024

Value in Health Regional Issues, an official journal of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, announced the expansion of its editorial scope and its plan to transition to a gold open access journal.

Empowering Change: Transforming Health Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Jan 22, 2024

ISPOR announced the publication of a special themed section of research papers in Value in Health Regional Issues that highlight innovative approaches to improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries through partnerships between health economics researchers and policy makers.

ISPOR’s Value in Health Regional Issues Receives Its First Impact Factor Score

Aug 7, 2023

Value in Health Regional Issues, the regionally focused journal of ISPOR, received its first-ever impact factor score this year. Value in Health, one of the top-ranked journals in the HEOR field, maintained its high ranking on the prestigious list of scholarly journals.
Your browser is out-of-date

ISPOR recommends that you update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on ispor.org. Update my browser now

×