Strategic Purchasing and Health System Efficiency: Prospects for Health Sector Reform in Latvia
28th EBES Conference - Coventry 2019
Māra Pētersone, Ingars Eriņš, Dainis Krieviņš, Kārlis Ketners

Significant part of any health policy and health financing reform is strategic purchasing which could theoretically have effect in optimizing the cost-effective provision of healthcare services while simultaneously maximizing population health. The payment model has a direct impact on health services delivery. In Latvia, one of challenges is adoption of new purchasing procedures and criteria. The purpose of this article is to identify key determinants of the hospital behaviour and based on international experience propose strategic purchasing model taking into consideration also Latvian university ‘tertiary’ hospital needs. As empirical basis for research statistical data of National Health Service and interviews. In the paper comparative analysis, empirical analysis, statistical data processing including the deductive and synthesis methods are used. Main proposals for future reforms and policy includes decisions on selective contracting and the role of public and private providers in Latvian health care, with redefined access criteria based on population need rather than historical supply, which aim to achieve more equal access of providers and specialties. To ensure that university, quality service hospitals, are transparently rewarded with the capacity to provide appropriate research and education, re-invest in infrastructure and to reduce negative impact of fund allocation policy on treatment compliance, access and equity. Lessons for health policy reforms includes patient-purchaser interaction model with defined rights for patients and responsibilities for purchasers, specific financing model to facilitate access to knowledge and provider decision autonomy.


Keywords
Strategic Purchasing, Health policy, Health financing reforms

Pētersone, M., Eriņš, I., Krieviņš, D., Ketners, K. Strategic Purchasing and Health System Efficiency: Prospects for Health Sector Reform in Latvia. In: 28th EBES Conference - Coventry, United Kingdom, Covertry, 29-31 May, 2019. Istambul-Turkey: EBES, 2019, pp.71-71. ISBN 978-605-67622-7-7.

Publication language
English (en)
The Scientific Library of the Riga Technical University.
E-mail: uzzinas@rtu.lv; Phone: +371 28399196