Danish health care is characterised by excellent performance and patient trust, but greater transparency and a more patient-oriented approach needs to be further developed in primary care. In addition, a new system of primary care outcomes monitoring and patient report measurements needs to be established, given that Denmark is currently one of the very few OECD countries without these systems in place.
From the report:
“Denmark’s 3,500 General Practitioners (GPs), nearly all independent contractors, have a long tradition of providing effective first-line health care, often over many years, to their local communities.
Patient surveys show that Danes rate their GP care highly, with 91 per cent giving a positive assessment compared to a European Union average of 84 per cent in a recent survey, published by the OECD in 2013. The effectiveness of primary care is demonstrated by the relatively infrequent need for hospitalisation for some (but not all) chronic conditions. (...)
The Danish healthcare system is, however, facing an array of unprecedented pressures. One in six of the population is aged over 65 years and this is set to increase to one in four by 2050 (OECD Health Statistics, 2016).
Although many elderly individuals lead active and fulfilling lives, the increasing prevalence of long-term conditions such as diabetes, arthritis or depression inevitably means more frequent contacts with the health care system. Effective primary and secondary prevention will also be needed to reduce the burden of chronic illness and ensure a healthy, active population.”
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