Austrians skeptical: dissatisfaction with the health system increases

Austrians skeptical: dissatisfaction with the health system increases

Vienna - A new survey provides revealing insights into the Austrian health system. The current "Austrian Health Report", which was created on behalf of the pharmaceutical company Sandoz, shows that the satisfaction of the Austrians has increased with their health as a whole. Nevertheless, almost 50 percent of the respondents express concerns about the quality of treatment, which in their opinion often depends on money. This was an alarming finding that Reinhard Raml from the market research institute IFES highlighted when the results were presented on Tuesday.

The study surveyed around 1,000 people and showed that only 51 % of the participants are fundamentally satisfied with the domestic health system, while 15 % are completely dissatisfied. Raml emphasized that this development appeared positively compared to the previous year, but a downward trend in satisfaction was recognizable in the long term. "A two -class system was seen by people," Raml continued. This has changed in recent years: it is no longer just about who is treated faster, but also about qualitative differences in care.

wish for better mental health

Especially young people seem to feel an increased need for improved offers in the field of mental health. At the same time, they expressed the desire for shorter waiting times and a safe supply. It is evident that the respondents want to focus more on prevention, which is considered to be necessary overall to deal with the challenges of obesity in adolescents.

Naghme Kamaleyan smith, the Vice President of the Medical Association, confirmed that there has been a “downward spiral” in the health system in recent years. She appealed to politics to invest more in prevention to avoid long -term health problems. "It's not about money, but about human suffering," she said. She also employs the inequality in the honoration of the doctors when she criticizes that an election doctor is worth 150 euros from people, while health insurance doctors are only worth 7.20 euros for politics.

claim for fair payment and improvement of care

Overall, the report shows that there is a clear need to fundamentally reform the health system. Sandoz also sees the survey an opportunity to further expand generic care. According to Franziska Zehetmayr from Sandoz, 70 percent of the respondents have recognized that generics can help the health system. It was found that a one percent increase in the generic share would bring significant savings for the health system.

The responsibility now lies with politics to make the necessary changes and to meet the wishes of the citizens. The findings from the survey show how urgently reforms are needed to sustainably improve medical care and satisfaction in the healthcare system. Source: www.tt.com