Abstract
The health system's performance consists of three components: efficiency, availability, and resilience. These three economic categories are also influenced by the distribution of medical devices and equipment, both by the quality of satisfaction of medical needs, by geographical availability and by the cost - the degree of financial burden on the health system. However, only few research studies deal with the issue of regional disparities in the use of selected medical technology. The aim of presented study is to map the distribution of the magnetic resonance imaging scans in Slovak republic within the timespan 2008-2017 on NUTS 3, respectively NUTS 4 level. Correspondence analysis shows hidden associations between the analysed variables. Our results show that magnetic resonance imaging scans are highly concentrated in two big cities. Generally, the number of magnetic resonance imaging scans has increased over time from 0.6 scans per 100 000 habitants in 2008 to approximately 0.94 scans per 100 000 habitants in 2017.
TopIntroduction
Demographic aging processes in the countries have a major impact on the financial sustainability of healthcare systems. In Slovakia, as in many other countries, the proportion of the economically inactive population is increasing. The financial sustainability of the health system is very sensitive not only to aging society, but also to economic shocks. Demographic shift - increasing the share of the economically inactive population causes wage-dependent premiums to fall, while health spending may increase due to higher healthcare costs for older citizens. Therefore, the resilience and sustainability of the health system need to be ensured on an ongoing basis and prepared for changes in demographic structures in the countries. Attention is drawn to the role of ensuring more efficient use of available resources, and also maximizing health and well-being of the population (Dlouhý, 2009; Fragkiadakis et al., 2016). The health system's performance consists of three components: efficiency, availability and resilience. These three economic categories are also influenced by the distribution of medical devices and equipment, both by the quality of satisfaction of medical needs, by geographical availability and by the cost - the degree of financial burden on the health system. However, only few research studies deal with the issue of regional disparities in the use of selected medical technology. It is especially caused by problematic access to the data base, as well as insufficient attention to examining the impact of prevention programs on the effectiveness of the health system and their connectivity to early diagnosis and treatment. These facts present the main cause for executing this study. It aims in investigating regional disparities in the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Slovakia during the years of 2008 – 2017, and their importance for assessing the availability and quality of healthcare in the Slovak health system.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Health System: Includes all activities that support, renew and maintain health. It represents the social system of all institutions, organizations, and resources whose main objective is to improve population health through targeted prevention, restoration and maintenance of population health.
Sustainability of the Health System: It represents primarily fiscal sustainability in the health care sector. The Slovak health care system is largely funded by wage payments, funding depends directly on labour market participation and growing earnings. It is also affected by the growth of the economic burden index due to the higher age of the population.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scans (MRI): Represents the most accurate spatial imaging of soft tissues of the investigated site that is a direct insight into the interior without surgical intervention with maximum accuracy. It allows very detailed views of organs and tissues throughout the body without the need for X-rays or ionizing radiation. MRI employs strong static and low frequency time-variable magnetic fields along with radio waves that, in a connection with computer processing, produce images showing injury, disease process, or the presence of abnormal tissues.
Process of Demographic Aging: A process influenced by the prolongation of human life expectancy and the transfer of strong population years (1970s and 1980s) to higher ages. By 2030, there will be a significant increase in the population of people over the age of 75, which means expectation of increased consumption of health and welfare due to the declining rate of self-sufficiency of the age.
Access to Health Care: In general, it is the distance to a particular health care provider. It contains four basic dimensions: physical availability, economic (affordability from the patient's perspective), non-discrimination (including time availability) and information availability.
Regional Disparities in Health (Health Inequalities): Represent differences, disparities, and inequalities in health between individuals and groups. They are determined by the individual social position (income, education, employment, natural predispositions - genetics, innate immunity, etc.).
Health Technology: Is an intervention used to promote health, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of acute or chronic diseases, or in rehabilitation, etc.
Correspondence Analysis: Correspondence analysis is a dimension reduction technique which results are displayed on the map so called correspondence map. Plotted points on the correspondence map represent the relative numbers of the pivot table. The points' position reveals similarities between the different row categories, between the column categories, as well as the relationship between them. Correspondence analysis show hidden relationships and the association between the analysed variables.