Patient mobility in the European Union

Abstract

Getting healthcare in another European country should be straightforward, but it often creates problems for both patients and healthcare systems

Factors influencing decisions of Laotian patients to use health care services in Thailand

“…A similar cross-border health care service crisis exists in some European Union countries facing an increasing burden of indigent migrants. Although there are many similarities, a significant difference is that the Thailand-Laos area has more limited resources [2].…”

“…Publications dealing increased travel and migration within the European Union (EU) because of health care have appeared from Europe. Increasing migration from Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia because of health care has also been reported [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Crossborder health issues have long been of concern elsewhere in the world including within the Americas, Africa, and Southeast Asia regions [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22].…”

“…(1) 18 years of age and over, (2) using health services at target hospitals during the period of data collection, and (3) ability to provide written informed consent for participation in the study.…”

Interregional Patient Mobility in the Italian NHS: A Case of Badly-Managed Decentralization Comment on "Regional Incentives and Patient Cross-Border Mobility: Evidence From the Italian Experience"

“…Although it has been extensively studied in international literature [1][2][3][4] further research is required. The article by Brenna and Spandonaro,5 dedicated to interregional mobility for acute hospital care in Italy, is an important contribution in this respect, as it raises critical issues that go well beyond the Italian case, concerning social and territorial equity as well as the role of central and regional government within a National Health Service (NHS) system.…”

Is It More Important to Address the Issue of Patient Mobility or to Guarantee Universal Health Coverage in Europe? Comment on "Regional Incentives and Patient Cross-Border Mobility: Evidence From the Italian Experience"

“…The research conducted on patient mobility across Europe concludes that the number of patients moving to other countries to receive healthcare are small and it only represents an estimated 1% of the total health expenditure. 10 Glinos, in an excellent opinion article, 11 already warned that too much attention was being payed to patient mobility in comparison to professional mobility. She described how patient mobility is narrow and self-limited, whereas professional mobility is expected to increase with the healthcare workforce shortages existent across the EU.…”