Do the waiting-time guarantees in the Scandinavian countries empower patients?

摘要

Purpose-This paper aims to analyse waiting-time guarantees in the three Scandinavian countriesrn(Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) and to assess whether their current policy designs have strengthenedrnthe role of patients in their healthcare systems.rnDesign/methodology/approach-The paper compares official documents and legislation in thernthree countries. The main findings are that waiting-time guarantees have generally empoweredrnpatients in the Scandinavian health systems. This empowerment is stronger in Denmark and Norway,rnwhere formal waiting-time guarantee rules are applied, than in Sweden, where the guarantee is basedrnon the "softer" regulatory instrument of agreements. While patients are formally empowered in allrnthree countries, and care providers are gradually adjusting to this situation, it is also clear that thernpractical conditions for empowering patients are not fully in place. The issue of informationrndissemination is particularly important.rnResearch limitations/implications-Assessments are based on current regulatory configurationsrnin the three countries, where the process of adapting and implementing the policies is ongoing. Thesernassessments are based on a comparative analysis of the institutional designs. There is no detailedrninformation on how patients use the waiting-time guarantee.rnPractical implications-It is important to consider carefully the information that patients havernavailable in exercising their right to choose healthcare as well as the incentives for providing suchrninformation to them.rnOriginality/value-This is the first systematic comparison of waiting-time guarantees in the threerncountries. It is a starting-point for further research on the introduction of waiting-time guarantees inrnpublic health systems.