Barriers and facilitating factors in access to health services in Greece (2015)

2015
This pubblication provides a description of the main findings from the desk review regarding barriers and facilitators to access, by each level of health-services coverage, according to the Tanahashi approach. Over 200 sources were viewed but, as expected, there were very limited data concerning the recent legislation to expand health-services coverage to the uninsured population and vulnerable groups.

It presents an analysis of available physical and human resources in the Greek health-care system and their regional allocation. Data were collected by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). The desk review did not identify adequate data on the availability of disease-specific services. Also, data on the availability of promotion and prevention services appear to be quite limited. Accordingly, this desk review focuses on the availability and distribution of health facilities and the availability of human resources within the health-care system. The statistics collected by ELSTAT and the desk review show the existence of significant inequalities in the allocation of physicians, dentists and nurses among the different geographical regions of the country. In combination with unequal regional allocation of beds, these contribute to inequalities in access to services.