The potential of health and healthcare in the Czech Republic: A comparativeanalysis with the E-15 countries

Overview

Even after accession to the EU on May 1, 2004, the process of approximation in health careshall not affect the substance of present healthcare systems. In the enlarged EU there shall beformed conditions for deepening of collaboration at all levels of the healthcare system. In theEU countries there are marked differences in financial sources and in the mode of financinghealth care. The Czech Republic allots to health care per capita approximately a half of that inthe former E-15. In regard of the technological level, staffing and a number of other parametersCzechmedicine is able to compete successfully with care provided in theEUcountries of westernEurope. In the 1990s there came about an improvement on the indicators of population healthin the Czech Republic; a further potential in improving those indicators and their convergencewith the level in the E-15 lies first of all in the realm of primary prevention. As regards theindicator of infant mortality the Czech Republic ranks among the most developed countries ofEurope even today already.The common task for all EU countries lies in the establishing of a healthcare policy based ona profound analysis of health needs, i.e. an evidence-based health policy, and on evidence-basedmedicine in the field of clinicalmedicine.More attention should be paid to the cost and effectivityof the healthcare system.

Key words:
healthcare in the Czech Republic - potential of health - comparative analysis.