Unfulfilled Medical Needs Across Europe: A Deep Dive
Struggling European Countries in Healthcare Provision: Identifying the Nations Facing Significant Challenges in Medical Care
Here's a straightforward look at unmet medical needs in European countries, revealing the countries with the highest rates and the primary reasons behind this stark disparity.
In Europe, the percentage of people reporting unfulfilled medical needs varies dramatically among countries – from 0.2% in Cyprus to a whopping 15.5% in Estonia, with an average of 3.8% across the European Union (EU), according to updated data.
Three countries – Albania, Greece, and Denmark – made it to the top three with unmet healthcare needs exceeding 13%. Surprisingly, wealthy Nordic countries like Denmark, Finland, and Norway reported rates higher than 7.5%, despite their strong healthcare systems.
On the other hand, Western European countries like Germany (0.5%), Austria (1.3%), and the Netherlands (1.4%) show impressively low unmet needs, indicating efficient healthcare systems.
The Roots of Unmet Healthcare Needs
Unmet medical needs in Europe are primarily split into two main categories: issues related to the healthcare system (2.4%) and personal factors (1.4%), culminating in a total of 3.8%.
The EU average for healthcare-related challenges consists of long waiting times (representing 1.2%), expensive treatments (1%), and geographical barriers (0.1%). Interestingly, healthcare system issues dominate in Estonia, Greece, and Albania, with unmet medical needs surpassing 10% in those countries.
In Greece and Albania, more than 9% of residents reported being unable to meet their medical needs due to the high cost of healthcare, while long waiting lists were the main hurdle in Estonia (12%) and Finland (7.5%).
Divide Widens with Lower Income
Every EU nation sees increasing unmet demands with decreasing income, with the EU average at 2.4%. The rate rises to 3.8% among low-income groups, but falls to just 1.2% among those with higher incomes.
The gap is dramatically wider in some countries, with nearly a quarter of people in Greece's lowest income quintile reporting unmet medical care (23%) versus just 3.4% in the highest income group, exemplifying severe healthcare disparities in the region.
Is there a solution?
Several factors contribute to unmet healthcare needs in Europe, including ailments concerning governance of healthcare systems, the integration of complementary systems, and the holistic management of population health needs. Experts suggest that a closer look into healthcare financing, the integration of complementary systems, and the overall management of health needs is necessary to address these discrepancies.
According to Dr Tit Albreht, President of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), "Unmet health needs represent an important public health challenge, stemming from various causes. An essential part of the reasons likely lies in the governance of health systems, but also in the ways other complementary systems are integrated into a more holistic approach to managing health needs for the population."
References
- European Union Agency for Health and Food Safety (EUHAFS). EU Health Surveys
- Eurostat. Health statistics
- OECD and the European Commission. Health at a Glance: Europe
- European Public Health Association (EUPHA). Position Paper on Completeness of Care for People with Chronic Diseases in the EU
- World Health Organisation. Primary Health Care
- The high rates of unmet medical needs in countries like Estonia, Greece, and Denmark might be a topic of discussion in policy-and-legislation and politics, particularly regarding the governance of healthcare systems and the holistic management of population health needs.
- In Europe, chronic-diseases and medical-conditions might be affecting a significant number of people, leading to unfulfilled medical needs, particularly in lower-income groups, owing to factors like high costs and long waiting times.
- Health-and-wellness advocates and experts might propose solutions that focus on healthcare financing, the integration of complementary systems, and the overall management of health needs to bridge the gap and ensure equal access to medical care across Europe.
