Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: This study examines healthcare service utilization trends in Türkiye between 2015 and 2024, focusing on the distribution of patient visits across secondary and tertiary public hospitals, university hospitals, and private hospitals. The analysis also explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and offers insights for health system planning and policy development.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using hospital visit data published by the Social Security Institution. The data cover secondary and tertiary public hospitals, university hospitals, and private hospitals. Annual figures were compiled, and year-on-year percentage changes were calculated. The analysis includes trend disruption assessment for the pandemic period, especially 2020 and the following years.
RESULTS: Hospital admissions in Türkiye rose from 468 million in 2015 to 660 million in 2024, marking a 41% increase. The most significant decline occurred in 2020, with a 35.15% drop due to the pandemic. Recovery began in 2021 and accelerated in 2022 with a 24.74% increase. Growth continued in 2023 and 2024, with 8.31% and 8.79% increases, respectively. Secondary-level public hospital visits grew from 251 million to 311 million, though they dropped to 182 million in 2020. Tertiary-level public hospitals showed the largest rise, from 85 million to 225 million—a 163% increase. University hospital visits rose from 40.5 million to 57.1 million, despite a 31% decline in 2020. Private hospital visits decreased from 90.4 million to 65.9 million over the same period, possibly reflecting changing preferences or expanded public capacity.
CONCLUSIONS: Türkiye’s healthcare system underwent significant change, with public hospitals gaining prominence. While COVID-19 caused a sharp but temporary decline in service use, the system rebounded quickly. These findings underscore the resilience of the healthcare infrastructure and support future policies centered on strengthening public services.