Italian Healthcare System Faces Increasing Costs and Complexity
Increased budget allocations despite decreasing health claims
A new report from Aon's Health Risk Observatory sheds light on the challenges facing the Italian healthcare system, particularly in terms of rising costs and the need for improved risk management practices.
According to the report, surgical errors, diagnostic errors, and falls account for a significant portion of claims, with surgical errors topping the list at 29.4%. Diagnostic errors follow closely behind at 16.1%, and falls account for 8.2% of claims.
These findings are particularly concerning given the financial strain that the Italian healthcare system, both public and private, is currently under. The system is grappling with dwindling funds and a challenging recovery post-Covid.
The implementing decrees of Law 24/2017 aim to address this issue by pushing insurance companies to reduce premiums based on risk management activities and systemic incident analysis by individual facilities. However, the report indicates that the burden of health incidents continues to weigh heavily on the budgets of facilities, especially when they are forced to "reserve" substantial funds for the outcome of lawsuits.
The report also highlights a decrease in the number of disputes between 2014 and 2023, with a decrease in mediations (-21%), civil proceedings (-21%), and criminal proceedings (-8%). This may suggest a growth in sector maturity and experience in evaluating responsibilities and damages, as indicated by the increase in out-of-court settlements between parties.
Andrea Parisi, CEO of Aon in Italy and Eastern Mediterranean, warns of the need to spread best practices of risk management throughout the healthcare world. Parisi believes that combining automated checklists with clinical risk assessment strategies can further enhance patient safety and reduce the likelihood of incidents.
The report examines 27,533 incidents handled directly by Aon and shows that the departments with the most claims are Orthopedics and Traumatology (13.3%), Emergency Room (11.1%), and Obstetrics and Gynecology (6.1%). The highest claims in Obstetrics and Gynecology were recorded for a surgical error in 2024 (2.3 million euros) and a diagnostic error (4 million euros).
The total cost of health incidents in Italy from 2014 to 2023 has exceeded 1.5 billion euros. The average cost of a health incident has also increased from 50,500 to 54,900 euros. The cost of health incidents has increased by 100 million euros in the last 2 years alone.
Conciliatory mediation in the healthcare sector is still a weak point, as it does not achieve its main goal of finding an agreement between parties in 92% of cases. This highlights the need for improved communication and negotiation strategies within the sector.
In summary, the Italian healthcare system is facing significant challenges in terms of rising costs and the need for improved risk management practices. The report from Aon's Health Risk Observatory provides valuable insights into the current state of the system and offers recommendations for improvement. By implementing best practices such as automated checklists and clinical risk assessment strategies, the healthcare system can work towards enhancing patient safety and reducing the likelihood of incidents.
Limitations
While the report provides valuable insights into the Italian healthcare system, it is important to note that the data is based on incidents handled directly by Aon and may not be representative of the entire system. Additionally, the report does not provide specific data on the top departments with the most health incidents and claims in the Italian healthcare system from 2014 to 2023, nor specific average cost figures associated with these incidents. Detailed department-specific health claims data for Italy is likely available through official Italian health ministry or insurer reporting but was not covered in the report. For precise data on Italian healthcare departments' claims and costs from 2014 to 2023, consulting Italian Ministry of Health annual reports, national health insurance databases, or academic publications focused on Italian healthcare claims analysis is recommended.
The report focused on incidents handled by Aon might not encompass the entire spectrum of the Italian healthcare system.
Specific data on the top departments with the most health incidents and claims from 2014 to 2023, along with their associated average costs, can be found in Italian Ministry of Health annual reports, national health insurance databases, or academic publications focused on Italian healthcare claims analysis.
