- Funding Programme
- Year
- 2021
Scaling up bundled payments and strengthening clinical governance in Hungary
The project "Scaling up bundled payments and strengthening clinical governance in Hungary" aimed to obtain better patient outcomes and improve the efficiency of the healthcare system by expanding the use of bundled payments and improving clinical governance mechanisms. The overall objective of this action was to contribute to improved health outcomes and financial arrangements in selected disease areas in Hungary to decrease avoidable hospitalization and to improve patient adherence.
Context
The project was implemented in response to the need to address the challenges in Hungary's healthcare system, particularly with regards to the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The goals of the project were to improve the quality of care for COPD patients and to reduce hospital-centred care in favor of people-centred ambulatory care. The project aimed to address the problem of poorly aligned payment mechanisms in the Hungarian healthcare system, which incentivized unnecessary hospital admissions and prolonged hospital stays.
Support delivered
The World Health Organization delivered technical support to Hungary in coordination with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support and with funding via the Technical Support Instrument. The National Korányi Institute for Pulmonology was involved as a partner organization. The project was implemented between 2021 and 2023. The main outputs included:
- Review of Hungarian payment models for health care services
- Report on best practices on bundled payments, especially for COPD
- Recommendations for the implementation of bundled payment models in Hungary
- Assessment of current models of clinical governance in Hungary
- Report on international evidence and best practices on clinical governance
Results achieved
The project achieved several results, including:
- A bundled payment approach was applied to COPD, reducing hospital-centered care and scaling up people-centered ambulatory care.
- The average length of stay decreased and unnecessary hospital admissions and readmissions were reduced.
- The project contributed to setting the basis for improving the quality of care for COPD patients and strengthened clinical governance in Hungary, by providing specific recommendations for follow-up.
- These results are expected to lead to improved patient outcomes, reduced hospitalizations, and a more efficient healthcare system.
More about the project
You can read the documents related to the project here: