An OECD report published on 22 November estimated that one-fifth of health spending is useless in Europe and provides some ways to reduce that proportion.
In EU countries "up to a fifth of health spending is useless" , according to a report released Thursday by the OECD, which lists the "many ways" already implemented to "reduce waste" in hospitals and on the drug.
"Reducing these expenses is not only important for improving access to needed care, but also for ensuring the resilience of the health system , " says the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in its "Health Panorama , " which recalls that "almost 9.6% of European GDP is spent on medical care" .
Excessive number of cesarean deliveries
To better use this windfall, "resources could be used more efficiently in hospitals" . Part of the admissions would be "avoidable" , especially for patients with diabetes, hypertension or asthma.
The OECD also points to a sometimes "excessive" recourse to cesarean deliveries and, on the contrary, sometimes insufficient to "outpatient surgery" (without hospitalization), for example for cataract or tonsil operations.
Another source of savings is the "late exits" of hospitalized patients, which some Northern European countries sanction with a financial penalty charged to the institutions.
In addition, the OECD lists conventional remedies to lower the overall cost of the drug: fewer antibiotics, more generics and better adherence to treatment by patients.