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7. Assessment of the health system
7. Assessment of the health system
Chapter summary
•
The period between 2011 and 2015 has been characterized both by the
consolidation of previous launched reforms and the introduction of some
reforms, particularly on the pharmaceutical market.
•
Portugal has an extensive information infrastructure, which plays a
central role in monitoring the health system performance, but not all data
sources are effectively connected and some challenges in patient privacy
and the legal basis for connecting patient data remain.
•
The distribution of social health determinants is not equitable in Portugal
(by geography, income and health literacy), despite the high legal and
political commitment to social rights.
•
Although the main source of funding of the Portuguese National Health
Service is general taxation, out-of-pocket payments are one of the
most important sources of financing of the Portuguese health system
(27.6% of total health expenditure in 2015).
•
Total health expenditure as % of the GDP (9.5%) puts Portugal among
the average countries of the EU.
•
The process of resource allocation in Portugal is moving from history-
based allocation of funds towards a needs-based allocation, but there is
scope for further efficiency gains in health care delivery (e.g. using health
technology assessment to monitor and so improve the system’s quality).
•
The system has progressively become more transparent mainly due to
the creation of the NHS Portal, where information on waiting times in
emergency departments and for outpatient consultations of NHS hospitals
are available in real time.