Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Denmark and the Danish Health Care Services
Dr. Else Smith, CEO
Danish Health and Medicines Authority
Meeting of the EU Chief Medical Officers, Chief Nursing
Officers and Chief Dental Officers
Copenhagen, 12th – 13th April 2012
Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Agenda
 Danish Population
 Political and Administrative Levels
 The Health Care Sector– Organisation and
Financing
 The Danish Health and Medicines Authority – Main
Responsibilities
 Main Challenges in the Health Area
 Trends in the Health Area
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Denmark
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5,4 million inhabitants
43.098 km2
Constitutional monarchy
Member of the EU
Parliament (Folketinget) (4 year terms)
Central government
5 regions (97 % health-care)
98 municipalities
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
The Health Care Sector –
Organisation and Financing
 Free and equal access to public health care
 Universal coverage (same system for
everyone)
 Tax financed (84%) (progressive income
tax)
 Private co-payment in certain areas (16%)
 Private insurance (½ mill. personal and ½
mill. employer-paid insurances)
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
The Danish Health Care System
There are 3 levels in the public health care
system in Denmark:
 The State
 The Regions
 The Municipalities
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Regions
Geography
Facts
 5 Regions
 Politically elected
leadership
 No taxing power –
financed by state grant
and co-payment by
municipalities
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Regional responsabilities
 Hospital and Psychiatric treatment
 Primary Health Care / Public Health Care
Scheme
 General Practitioners (family doctors)
 Private Practicing Specialists
 Adults Dental Services
 Physiotherapy
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Municipalities
Geography
Facts
• 98 Municipalities
• Politically elected leadership
• Taxing powers
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Municipal responsabilities
 Preventive care and health promotion
 Rehabilitation outside hospital
 Treatment of alcohol and drug abuse
 Co-financing regional health care
 Child nursing
 Child dental services and special dental care
 School health care
 Home nursing
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Public and private payment
Public financed health care
 GP’s and specialists (with reference from GP)
 All hospital treatment
 All pharmaceuticals and aides received in
hospital
Private co-payment
 Dentists
 Out-hospital pharmaceuticals and aides
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Health Expenditure per inhabitant
US $
Public
Source: OECD Health at a glance, 2009
Private
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Public expenditure in the health area in
Denmark 2001-08
Billion Danish
Kroner
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
Source: Ministry of Health and Prevention, 2010
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Number of Physicians per 1,000 inhabitants
Source: OECD Health at a Glance, 2009
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
The Danish Health and Medicines Authority Mandate
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To assist the Minister for Health by administrering
obligations within health care
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To follow the health state of the population and be abreast
of knowledge and experiences on the health area
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To supervise and evaluate the health area
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To inform the population on particular health issues
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To advise the Minister for Health and other authorities
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To supervise doctors, hospitals, residental homes etc.
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
The Danish Health and Medicines Authority –
Main responsabilities
 Surveillance, Guidance, Supervision, Development
 To lay down rules and schemes, give
recommendations and prepare general information
and campaigns
 To develop new approval powers and competencies
kompetencer
 To set standards and follow up in regard to the
relevant authorities
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Main Challenges:
Life Expectancy
Source: OECD Health at a Glance, 2009
Male
Female
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Causes of Death
Source: National Institute of Public Health
The Public Health Report 2007
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Life Style: Alcohol Consumption
Percentage of Danish citizens who exceed
the limit for high risk alcohol consumption
(14 units for women, 21 units for men) –
defined by DHMA
Source: The Danish Profile of Health 2010
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Life Style: Tobacco use – number of smokers
Source: Investigations led by Gallup, Rambøll og Userneeds
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Life Style : Obesity
Percentage of obese Danish citizens distributed
on sex and age (Obesity = BMI > 25)
Source: The Danish Profile of Helath 2010
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Main challenges in the Health Area
 Life expectancy – still not satifactory
 Life style related diseases – increase in chronic
diseases
 Shortage of health professionals in the health care
sector
 Inequality in health
 Lack of coherence in the health care system
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Trends in the Health Area - 1
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Health on the top of the political agenda
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Quality improvement of the health care servises for less
money – prioritization
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More options for treatment delivered by private supplyers
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Increased centralization of the hospital sector
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Increased use of technology, incl. telemedicine
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Increased digitalization
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Trends in the Health Area - 2
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Enhanced coherence in health care, incl. path ways
programs, national clinical guidelines etc.
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Increased out-of-pocket payment, incl. differentiation of
services free of charge
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Enhancement of a strong primary and community health
care, incl. GPs and local health care services
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Focus on chronic diseases, incl. elderly patients and cancer
patients
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Trends in the Health Area - 3
 Patient Empowerment, incl. self management
and patient education
 Involvement of the civil society
 Strengthened cooperation between the health
care sector and the social sector at all levels
 Strengthened focus on health promotion and
disease prevention
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Five strategic focus areas for The Danish
Health and Medicines Authority 2010- 2013
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Enhanced coherence in health care
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Increased health promotion and disease prevention
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Quality improvement through accessible knowledge
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Efficient division of responsibilities between highly qualified
health professionals
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Patient centered health care – safety and involvement
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Danish Health and Medicines Authority  Denmark
Thank you for your attention!
Copenhagen
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