Greece aims to improve access to high-value medical equipment
Greece has taken a concrete step towards improving access to high-value medical equipment, such as MRI and CT scanners, and mammography exams, by initiating a dialogue between key stakeholders.
At a workshop held on 24 January 2018 at the Ministry of Health in Athens, participants agreed on the way forward in addressing inequalities in access. Steps include evidence-based planning of the distribution of units and human resources, setting up a unified referral system for the use of the equipment, establishing an equipment registry and putting in place mechanisms to assess the total use and lifecycle of the equipment.
The dialogue arises from a recommendation in a policy brief, produced with the support of WHO/Europe, to assess the sufficiency and equity in the distribution and use of high-value medical equipment in Greece, identify specific needs for equipment, estimate utilization costs and reveal reasons for potential overuse.
Specifically, the policy brief recommendation looks at simplifying and reducing redundancies in the distribution and utilization of high-value medical equipment.
Background
The dialogue was held as part of phase 2 of the Strengthening Capacity for Universal Coverage (SCUC2) action.
The SCUC2 action is carried out with funding from the European Union through a grant agreement between the European Commission and WHO/Europe. The general objective of the action is to contribute to improving health and health equity in Greece, especially among the most vulnerable in the crisis-stricken population, by helping the Greek authorities move towards universal coverage and strengthen the effectiveness, efficiency and resilience of their health system.
