The second round table within the Project titled “Healthcare system analysis” took place on Wednesday March 21, in the packed hall of the Croatian Chamber of Crafts.

According to the current Euro Health Consumer Index, the world has recognized Croatia for its successful implementation of eHealth, was the statement by Maja Vehovec, the scientific adviser at Institute of Economics, who was also the first speaker discussing the topic: “The Impact of Informatization on Management and Processes in Healthcare”. The new Index List will be published in May, and in it eHealth will no more be presented as an individual category, since it has an impact to all other categories that include rights and informing of patient, waiting time for medical treatment, results of treatment, volume and extent of service and pharmaceutical segment.

Primarius Dr. Siniša Varga, the acting head of the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance, HZZO, especially underlined that the full national coverage with ePrescriptions and eBooking services has been achieved. Thus, Croatia is among top ranked countries in Europe and the world as well. At the same time, we still have not integrated hospitals into the system, and even one third of them are poorly computerized or even not computerized at all.  Therefore, primarius Dr. Varga announced that the publishing of the results of deep analysis will take place soon. This will give a review of business processes coverage with information and communications solutions, both horizontally and vertically, and enable the rapid decision making on a strategic plan for information and communications system development in the healthcare system for the next four-year period.  According to this announcement, a good quality reorganization of IT service of the system participants is to be expected, as well as harmonization of standards and processes and the final outcome will mean safe and qualitative integrated, information and communications healthcare system. For the realization of the set goal, the funds will be provided not only by the state budget, but by EU funds and the World Bank, too.

By presenting the recent data Zvonimir Pavić, the head assistant for the IT, in HZZO underlined that only last year some 40 million e-Prescriptions were issued, which made a direct savings of MHRK 2.5 due to abandonment of paper prescriptions and referrals. The total annual cost reduction has increased by three times. According to Mr. Pavić, the problems still to solve are e-Records and E-Bookings. This will, along with hospital networking bring to additional cost saving, but also better service in healthcare.
Gordana Kovačević, the president of Ericsson Nikola Tesla focused to the role of the integrated healthcare information system. She said that computerization of the given system has already given positive results, and the implementation of the Central Healthcare Information System in Croatia, created a new value to the healthcare system.  Primarily, it was achieved through standardization of healthcare processes that in itself means cost saving due to higher efficiency and better organization, then better healthcare services provision and management at the operational and strategic level. Joining EU will pave the way to the new business opportunities for Republic of Croatia that has strategic advantages to join the regional market of the healthcare system services. This will result from the implemented central healthcare Information System and available professional and other resources, as well as the comprehensive electronic records of patient medical data, and their integration into the Hospital Information System, and  will provide supplementary income to the healthcare system. In brief, Ericsson Nikola Tesla vision of a healthcare system starts from the basic principle of the desirable healthcare policy, which means qualitative healthcare available to all, on the principle of universality, availability and solidarity.

The discussion continued with the moderator Željko Ivanković, editor-in-chief of the journal Banka, and the participants in it were Mario Malnar, The president of Coordination for Croatian Family Medicine, Ivica Mudrinić, HT general manager in duel with Spomenka Abveršek TU representative, and many others from the audience.

It is to point out that the majority of them had participated in laying the foundations of  the discussed system, which despite the necessity to be improved, was recognized in Europe, and in line with positive impact to society and environment listed among  25 “smartest”  information and communications  systems in the world.

Communications Ericsson Nikola Tesla