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Public Health

Priority areas for HSPA

The Expert Group on Health Systems Performance Assessment focuses its analysis on a different priority area every year based on areas identified as strategically relevant, or with the potential for most impact.

2020/2021 Programme for Action

In 2020/201, the Expert Group focused on improving access to healthcare through more powerful measurement tools.

The report gives an overview of current approaches and opportunities for improvements. It describes a survey conducted on national experiences in assessing accessibility of healthcare and develops “patient vignettes” to better capture access challenges.

2019 Programme for Action

In 2019/2020, the Expert Group focused on identifying tools and methods to assess health systems resilience. The report includes a theoretical overview of the concept of resilience applied to health systems, a synthesis of European countries’ experiences with assessing health system resilience, and an analysis of resilience-enhancing strategies and related dimensions for assessment.

Based on these three elements, the Expert Group presents a number of options that European countries can consider in the short term to improve the quality of their prospective assessment methods for health system resilience.

2018 Programme for Action

In 2018, the Expert Group scrutinised tools and methodologies to measure and assess the efficiency of health care systems in Europe.

Its findings are contained in a report presenting an overview of key theoretical concepts of efficiency, an analysis of European countries’ experiences, and a discussion of some of the ways in which efficiency measurement and assessment methodologies can develop and become increasingly useful for health managers and policy-makers.

2017 Programme for Action

The 2017 priority was the identification of practical and effective ways to assess the performance of primary care systems. The Group has compiled evidence on the assessment methods used by European countries to assess primary care. It is also cooperating with the Expert panel on effective ways of investing in health, to explore innovative assessment methods.

Together with the European Observatory on health systems and policies, the Group has sought to translate good assessment methods into effective policies.

2016 Programme for Action

In 2016, the Group investigated the assessment of integrated care systems, initially analysing factors that facilitate effective design and implementation of integrated care frameworks. In its report, the Group also provided indicators and best practices to consider, as well as pitfalls to avoid.

2015 Programme for Action

In 2015, the Group focused on quality of care assessment. Its findings are contained in a report detailing best practices from several countries as well as operational conclusions for policy-makers on setting-up, running and evaluating a system of quality care assessment.