Every day, 67 Croatian citizens learn that they suffer from cancer, which is 24,000 people a year, of which 13,000 die. According to statistics, only Hungarians in Europe have a higher mortality rate than us. That is why we talked to Dr. Eduard Vrdoljak from KBC Split, our leading oncologist and head of the working group that created the National Plan to Fight Cancer. He sees the solution in the system of monitoring treatment outcomes, as Sweden and other leading countries have in their health care, which have significantly better results in cancer treatment compared to Croatia.

Only Hungary has a higher mortality rate. It is estimated that about 23,000 Croats get cancer every year, of which an average of 11,000 die as a result. Lung cancer is the deadliest form for men, most women die from breast cancer. Psychologist and head of the Center for Psychological Assistance to Oncology Patients of the All for Her Association, Ljiljana Vukota, faced this difficult diagnosis in her forties, and she described her own experience with treatment. – I always said that I was looking forward to my forties, hoping that I would have children, a good job, be situated … All this really happened, but in 2005, at the age of 45, with three minor children, breast cancer also occurred. . I found a lump on my breast by self-examination, and I had my first examination (breast ultrasound) after two weeks at the Dubrava Hospital. What I experienced there I wish to all women who find themselves in a similar situation. Seeing the ultrasound findings, the doctor immediately decided to perform a cytopuncture to confirm the diagnosis and she referred me to a surgeon for further consultations – said prof. psychology of Vukota.

To get some malignant disease, you would probably want to go to a hospital that has the best methods and treatment results, right? Unfortunately, this is not yet possible in Croatia. Due to the fragmentation of our health system, it is very challenging to monitor treatment outcomes, mortality and survival rates, but also the quality of life of patients.

Nine out of ten citizens believe that data on treatment success must be publicly available and it must be known which hospitals have the best treatment outcomes, and every second Croatian citizen believes that shorter waiting lists and greater availability of effective treatment methods are key to reducing cancer mortality. which is why our country is currently second in the EU. These are the key findings of Ipsos’ research on treatment outcomes in Croatia, conducted in early June this year. Also, considering that in the past five years every second citizen has faced a diagnosis of a serious illness—either personally or within their immediate family—it is not surprising that they are interested in the state of healthcare in Croatia. As many as 81 percent of respondents say that this is one of the three key topics they want to hear more about during the election campaign, ahead of the economy and pensions.

Every second Croatian citizen has faced a serious illness in the past five years, either in person or in a close family, and nine out of 10 believe that data on the success of treatment must be publicly available and it must be known which hospitals have the best treatment outcomes. you could choose them yourself. If they could choose, patients would overwhelmingly go to a hospital that guarantees better treatment outcomes, regardless of any additional costs – 9 out of 10 would travel longer just to get to a hospital with better treatment outcomes.

Croatia ranks second in the EU for cancer mortality, and due to an aging population and limited resources, only by monitoring treatment outcomes is it possible to organize healthcare more efficiently and redirect existing resources to where they benefit patients the most, as emphasized at the conference. In the EU, there are significant differences in treatment outcomes between member countries, and even within countries themselves. The new EU program to support the healthcare of member states amounts to over €9 billion and aims to enhance the resilience and quality of healthcare systems with a long-term vision of improving treatment outcomes.

Croatia ranks second in the EU in terms of cancer mortality, and due to the aging population and limited resources, only by monitoring treatment outcomes is it possible to organize health care more efficiently and redirect existing resources to where patients benefit most. This is the conclusion of the international conference Health based on monitoring treatment outcomes, organized by the Innovative Pharmaceutical Initiative (iF!) And the European Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies (EFPIA), under the auspices of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The conference “Healthcare Based on Monitoring Treatment Outcomes” was held. Continue reading the article at the original link.

Health is the most important thing in life — we all agree on that. One out of two citizens confronted a serious illness in the last five years, either personally or in their close family. Nine out of ten citizens believe that data on treatment success must be publicly available and that it should be known which hospitals achieve the best treatment outcomes, so they can make their own choices, according to research conducted by Ipsos in early June.

This is the conclusion of the international conference Health based on monitoring treatment outcomes, organized by the Innovative Pharmaceutical Initiative (iF!) And the European Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies (EFPIA), under the auspices of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Leading global experts have explained how some countries have successfully measured treatment outcomes for decades and, based on that, redefine national healthcare strategies, focusing on the most effective treatments. Minister of Health Vili Beroš referred to European activities during Croatia’s presidency.

Nine out of 10 citizens of the Republic of Croatia want to know in which health institution they have the best chances for successful treatment, the Ipsos research showed, and the importance of measuring treatment results was pointed out by leading experts at a conference sponsored by the EU Council Presidency.

This is the conclusion of the international conference Health based on monitoring treatment outcomes, organized by the Innovative Pharmaceutical Initiative (iF!) And the European Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies (EFPIA), under the auspices of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Leading global experts have explained how some countries have successfully measured treatment outcomes for decades and, based on that, redefine national healthcare strategies, focusing on the most effective treatments. Minister of Health Vili Beroš referred to European activities during Croatia’s presidency.

Today, organized by the Innovative Pharmaceutical Initiative (iF!) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), and under the auspices of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, an online international conference titled “Healthcare Based on Monitoring Treatment Outcomes” was held. Leading experts shared their experiences and knowledge on the importance of monitoring treatment outcomes for transforming healthcare systems and improving patient care quality, particularly in oncology. The conference concluded with remarks by the Minister of Health, Vili Beroš.

Croatia ranks second in the EU in terms of cancer mortality, and due to the aging population and limited resources, only by monitoring treatment outcomes is it possible to organize health care more efficiently and redirect existing resources to where patients benefit most. Zaključak je to međunarodne konferencije Zdravstvo temeljeno na praćenju ishoda liječenja, održane danas u organizaciji Inovativne farmaceutske inicijative (iF!) i Europskog udruženja inovativnih farmaceutskih kompanija (EFPIA), a pod pokroviteljstvom hrvatskog Predsjedanja Vijećem EU. Vodeći svjetski stručnjaci objasnili su kako neke zemlje već desetljećima uspješno mjere ishode liječenja i temeljem toga redefiniraju nacionalne zdravstvene strategije, fokusirajući se na najučinkovitije liječenje. Ministar zdravstva Vili Beroš osvrnuo se na europske aktivnosti tijekom hrvatskog predsjedanja.

In Croatia, 23,000 people get cancer every year, and 11,000 of them lose the battle of their lives. We are second in the European Union in terms of cancer mortality rates. Professional and dedicated doctors and nurses are a prerequisite, but not necessarily a guarantee of satisfactory health outcomes for the patients they treat, Jutarnji list writes.

In a smaller hospital in continental Croatia, a woman being treated for ovarian cancer is eight times more likely to require an additional surgery than if she had been treated at a reputable clinical center. The reasons? Her doctor performs such an operation only once or twice a month, while in larger centers, a doctor of the same specialization encounters a similar diagnosis every day. This is a vivid example illustrating that where experience with a particular disease is greater, treatment outcomes are better—which does not necessarily depend on the hospital’s size or geographic location, but on a range of factors: from prevention and early detection to the doctor’s experience and the application of appropriate treatment methods. Today, we know that Croatia, after Hungary, has the second-highest cancer mortality rate in Europe, with every third resident affected by the disease. To truly understand the situation and determine where patients could receive the best possible care for their condition, the healthcare system must pay more serious attention to treatment outcome data.

In Croatia, treatment outcomes are not systematically monitored, even though doing so would provide valuable data and guidance for better organization and planning of healthcare investments. You are a patient who has just received a diagnosis and a treatment plan. Would it occur to you to ask your doctor about the treatment outcomes recorded by their institution and, based on that, decide whether to continue treatment there or at a hospital where your chances of survival are up to five times higher?

In Croatia, 23,000 people get cancer every year, and 11,000 of them lose the battle of their lives. We are second in the European Union in terms of cancer mortality rates. Professional and dedicated physicians and nurses are a prerequisite, but not necessarily a guarantee, of satisfactory health outcomes for the patients they treat.

Moreover, outcome monitoring has also proven to be the most important tool for finding savings space and a different allocation of resources in the system, to the benefit of patients and healthcare professionals. While in Scandinavia and other more developed European countries disease registries have been used since the 1970s, thanks to which we now have data on the effectiveness of timely introduction of innovative drug therapy, especially in oncological diseases and diabetes, Croatia is among the countries with the highest cardiovascular mortality. diseases and breast and prostate cancer. At the same time, we do not have reliable data on five- or ten-year survival rates because, in Croatia, registries — except for rare exceptions — do not exist. As a result, there are no systematically monitored data or statistics on specific diseases, the effects of therapies, or treatment outcomes in general. This leaves our healthcare system without the data that could provide solutions to challenges we currently cannot address, and which will become even greater in the future, with an aging population and a decreasing number of health insurance contributors.

The value of data management was, as expected, first recognized and applied in practice by the private sector, which understood that data are today the ultimate asset, because decisions are made based on data analysis, while the speed and ease of access to data significantly save time and money. We can say that the digital revolution has completely transformed the ways data are collected and used, which is of crucial importance in modern healthcare systems.

To ensure the most effective treatment for patients, it will be necessary to update treatment guidelines, enable a multidisciplinary approach (especially in oncological diseases), establish disease registries, systematically measure clinical treatment outcomes and collect and analyze all available data to monitor and improve treatment outcomes. In Croatia, the outcomes of treatment are currently not systematically monitored, which makes it difficult to determine the true results of certain medical procedures and therapies, as well as to detect those who do not justify their price and effort.