Euro Health Consumer Index, EHCI, has compared European healthcare systems from 2005. Belgium has improved it’s ranking, now holding the 11th place in newly published report of 2009.

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Although Belgium can’t be proud of being among the best, it still defeated Finland, a Scandinavian welfare state. From 12th place in the ranking, Finland follows right after Belgium. The myth of supreme Finnish social services is still kept alive, altough EHCI clearly shows that the acces to healthcare is easier and the waiting times shorter in Belgium. Belgium also invests a lot more money on healthcare than Finland. Surprisingly enough, these factors don’t correlate in the outcome of treatments’ in Belgium, which was a sector where Belgium lacks behind.

There is a need for comparison because of the rapidly growing patient mobility in Europe. EHCI is a progressive measurement standard, using indicators vital from the patients’ point of view. According to the president of research group, Johan Hjertqvist, ”forward-looking governments start using healthcare information and choice to engage patients in the decision-making, building a pressure from below for improvement”. Netherlands won the first place in the ranking for the second time in a row, due to long time efforts in patient empowerement. At the same time countries with old-fashioned, hierarchical and non-transparent healthcare fall at the lower end of the ranking. EHCI tries to encourage countries to develop their healthcare systems more modern and patient-friendly.

 

Sources: Flanders Today, EHCI Report 2009

 

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