"Evidence-informed decisions ... better health in Hungary"
The HealthMonitor takes part in the performance of public tasks
to enhance the generation, dissemination and use
of health information in policy making
"Evidence-informed decisions ... better health in Hungary"
The HealthMonitor takes part in the performance of public tasks
to enhance the generation, dissemination and use
of health information in policy making
The evaluation group of HealthMonitor won the opportunity to perform the external evaluation of the EU funded project "Health investments in Structural Funds 2000-2006: learning lessons to inform regions in the 2007-2013 period". The external evaluation will finish at the end of 2011.
The project will address the diversity and fragmentation of child health research in Europe, by establishing an innovative, iterative, and sustainable European platform for child health research across different disciplines. The RICHE activities will comprise reports and a series of meetings on inventory of current research; research into child health measurement, statistics, and indicators; gaps in child health research as perceived by a range of stakeholders and roadmaps for the future of child health research in Europe. Child Health Research
HealthMonitor, in cooperation with the Institutional Group of Addiction, Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, and Fact Institute for Applied Sociolgy Research, Pécs has finished the follow-up study on efficiency of the Hungarian alternatives to prison system targeting drug-using offenders requested by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour. During the six-month study, changes in the relevant characteristics of clients were analyzed to evaluate the efficiency of the alternatives to prison system. Changes in the clients' drug use, addiction severity, mental state, families' and friends' attitude to their drug use, and expectations and intentions in relation of the alternatives to prison procedure were followed. Results show that addiction severity was relatively low in most of the clients who started the procedure. By the end of the procedure their drug use and addiction severity decreased both in clients with and without problem use. See more results in the Research Report (in Hungarian) under Publications. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour has decided to support the extension of the study period to 12 months. The extension allows evaluation of the permanent effects of the alternatives to prison procedure. Results of this study period are expected to be published in October.
"The health status of the Hungarian population has improved over the last two decades; however, it lags behind in most health indicators among almost all member state of the European Union - as the health status improves much faster in other countries. Since the higher prevalence of diseases and the exceptionally high mortality in Hungary, people can expect shortened and less healthy life compared not only to 'old' member states but to the countries of the Visegrad Group. The ill health in general and the low birth rate result in the second highest decrease of the population in the EU. Numerous examples show that interventions - led by the health sector - covering the whole society improve the health status of the population significantly." The Report is downloadable in Hungarian under Publications.
HealthMonitor, in cooperation with the Health Insurance Supervisory Authority, continues the research on health inequalities started in 2008. In the first phase of the project inequalities of the health status of the Hungarian population, i.e. health care need was in the focus of the research. In the second phase inequalities in the use of health care was studied. In the new third phase, the geographical inequalities in the use of health care will be analyzed by adjusting for access to health care and other individual and neighborhood health determinants. First results will be presented at the beginning of 2010 summer.
HealthMonitor presented the results of its recent research commissioned by the National Health Insurance Fund Authority. The results of multilevel statistical analysis show that significant inequalities exist in health care use in different extent by form of care and major chronic disease groups. To reduce these inequalities i.e. health needs based capacity and resource allocation would improve health care efficiency on the one hand and strengthen social justice. This research was the second phase of the research project on health inequalities in Hungary performed by HealthMonitor. The first phase estimated small-area level inequalities in health needs in Hungary. The recent research report as well as the first report can be downloaded from Publications in Hungarian Publications.
HealthMonitor published an open letter in the media to the Minister for Finance to requesting him not to cut the health budget but invest more in the health system in light of the unfavorable health situation of the Hungarian population. The letter is available in Publications (translated to English).
HealthMonitor published an open letter in the media to the Minister of Health holding him responsible for unprofessional operation in the National Institute of Public Health regarding the national health interview survey carried out in 2009. It is unfortunate that due to the erroneous design the results of the survey are definitely useless. The letter is available in Publications (in Hungarian).
The Regional Roma Health Intelligence Center is holding first international meeting for country coordinators and international project (MEHO, Health of the Roma Community) representatives. The meeting will be held in Budapest, June 26-27, 2009. More information available on the RRHIC website (www.rrhic.org).
HealthMonitor was asked to run a HIA screening on "Alcohol policy and strategy 2009", a policy paper published this May. In the screening meeting with the leading experts in Hungary, it will be examined whether a detailed HIA is needed. Experts will be asked to put together recommendations to the decision makers regarding the alcohol policy planned. Methodological experiences will be summarized to the HIA Guideline to be published by the NIHD. The project will be finished by mid-July.
HealthMonitor started a follow-up study for analysis of efficiency of the Hungarian system of alternatives to prison targeting drug-using offenders requested by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour. During the study, clients starting the procedure of alternatives to prison are questioned two times: first when they entering and after six months when they finishing the procedure. The test battery consists of standard questionnaires like ASI, GHQ, BDI, SES, CUDIT, MSI, HCQ used to screen drug problems. Altogether 150 clients are planned to be recruited in cooperation with the 8 biggest special medical and social service providers across the country. The study will be finished by April 2010.
They declared that they want to act in order to improve the health of the Hungarian people - their health. They think that one of the most important first steps should be the elaboration of a long term strategy that gives a direction for policy decisions regarding our health and the health system. In addition, they plan to initiate activities and actions to promote public debate and civil participation in the area of health. They will employ instruments of civil push in order to reach the desired decisions. They will monitor and follow the consequences of decisions and make the results of changes public. They plan to follow-up the health impact of decisions not just on national but on local and community level as well in order to protect our local communities- us. Their view is summarized in a paper "Here you must die?" published in Lege Artis Medicinae (Here you must die?; in Hungarian)
Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour granted HealthMonitor's project proposal titled "Analysis of efficiency of alternatives to prison targeting drug-using offenders" submitted to call for proposal on social research to combat drugs. Aim of the project is providing evidences on efficiency of alternatives to prison using standard methods of sociological research and recommendations based on this evidences to improve the system of alternatives to prison in Hungary. Analysis of data on institutions providing services related to alternatives to prison will be combined structural interviews with professionals working in this field, and drug users as well. The project will be finished by October this year.
The National Institute for Drug Abuse Prevention has commissioned the HealthMonitor to run qualitative research to evaluate the national drug strategy declared in 2000. The evaluation will serve as a base for developing new strategy in 2009.
HealthMonitor has started this project as a continuation of the previous study titled "Health inequity in Hungary" commissioned by the Health Insurance Supervisory Authority. Inequity in use of health services will be analyzed using the estimated health care need from the previous study. First results are expected by the beginning of this summer and summary is planned to be presented in autumn.
The Health Insurance Supervisory Authority commissioned the HealthMonitor to deliver a reasearch study on health disparities and inequities in Hungary. In our research, we made an attempt to answer two main sets of questions: "How health is distributed geographically and among social groups in the country?" and "What factors lie behind the existing health disparities and inequities?". The study brings a new conceptual and methodological approach to study and understand health inequities in Hungary. The English language Snapshot summarizes the conceptual and methodological approach, the main results as well as the recommendations to policy makers. The study received a nation-wide media and professional attention in autumn this year.Summary (90 kByte, pdf)
In cooperation with the local hospital, the local government of Hódmezővásárhely (a small town in Southern Hungary with 50,000 citizens; see on map: ) has commissioned the HealthMonitor to design and implement a health interview survey within the Healthy Vásárhely Program in order to map the health of the local population aged 18 and over. The survey design is in accordance with international (WHO, Eurostat) and national (NHIS2000 and NHIS2003) standards. The survey's fieldwork carried out by Nézőpont Institute in June - July. The data analysis and the preparation of the report were finished by the end of August. Results will be presented to the professionals and the public during October and November.
After its final full meeting, the EUPHIX project had officially launched the EUPHIX system on June 20, 2008 in Leiden, The Netherlands. The HealthMonitor is a partner to the project. The EUPHIX is a web-based health information system for the European Union, providing health professionals, policy makers and other interested users with relevant, structured information on issues of public health across the EU and within its 27 Member States. You can check out EUPHIX here: www.euphix.org, or read about the project here: www.euphix.info, a summary: Information Sheet (200 kB).
The Health Insurance Supervisory Authority has commissioned the HealthMonitor to prepare a health report on the socio-economic and geographical inequalities of health in Hungary. The report is in its finalization phase and it is expected to be published at the end of the summer. Based on the comprehensive report, we are planning to prepare a short version for decision makers in Hungarian and English.
Key messages of the report: - In 2007/2008, the seasonal flue epidemic lasted for 7 weeks and resulted in 250 thousand patients who had medical appointment. - The social cost of the seasonal flue epidemic is estimated to be 3.4 billion HUF. - The biggest part, 38%, of the costs came from the free flue vaccine; the costs associated with the working days lost due to the sickness made up 33% and the cost of medicine paid by the people was 23% of the total costs estimated. - The recent flue epidemic cost about 880 million HUF for the people while 1.5 billion HUF for the central budget; 95% of the costs for the people went to medicine while 92% of the central budget went to the provision of free vaccines. - More comprehensive estimation including other cost items could enhance the cost effectiveness of interventions aiming reducing consequences of the seasonal flue epidemic in Hungary.
The HealthMonitor Non-profit Public Purpose Ltd. has been accepted as a new partner of the WHO - Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (WHO- Alliance). The WHO - Alliance is an international collaboration based in the WHO Geneva whose objective is to promote the generation and use of health policy and systems research as a means to improve the health systems of developing countries.
The HealthMonitor continues the research project titled "The role of socioeconomic determinants in the effectiveness of the National Public Health Program" funded under the Ministry of Health Research Grants. In the project - ending this year - combined data of the 2000 and 2003 waves of the Hungarian Health Interview Survey are used for the analysis of the most significant determinants of smoking and diseases of the cardiovascular system.
The HealthMonitor Research and Consulting Non-Profit Public Benefit Ltd. was registered with the Company Registry on August 21, 2007.
