HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

The main focus within this area is on the nature and financing of healthcare systems in Croatia and in the European context. In particular, our researchers explore options concerning the reform of the Croatian healthcare system and the factors which promote and which impede such a reform, from the perspective of health economics.

In the context of technological advances in medical science and drug availability, there are important choices to be made regarding priorities as well as funding mechanisms, not least in terms of the balance between insurance-based and fee-paying care, the balance between primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare, and the respective roles of state and non-state actors in healthcare. The fact that Croatia has an ageing population also poses particular challenges for future health and long-term care systems. Additional focus is placed on the optimization of autonomy levels for individual hospitals within the public health system. Researchers also address health inequalities and their implications for well-being at individual, household and community levels.