The ageing of the population and the consequent increase of the unit and chronicity represent a problem for the sustainability of health care.

Рit is estimated that chronic diseases are the leading cause of disability and dependency by 2020, and that by 2030 it will double its incidence en mayores de 65 a̱os

-in Spain chronic diseases are the leading cause of care demand in the health centres, being 80% of primary care consultations and 60% of hospital admissions

-the half of the Spanish hospital beds are occupied by age 65 or over. Pharmaceutical consumption of chronic patients also means half of the spending on drugs

-experts in health economics bet by putting up a Pact for health that reform of the current system of care for chronic patients, in search of greater sustainability

– A new model for chronic care coupled with an evaluation continuous from the experiences of coordination integration that are adopted are key to the future of health care ”, says Sergi Jiménez-Martín, Professor of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Rapporteur at the XXXII Conference of the Association of economy of health, held in Bilbao

Bilbao, may 2012.- in Spain health care is a major problem for the future. The ageing of the population and the consequent increase of the chronicity and unit contribute to aggravate their problems of sustainability. It is what warns Sergi Jiménez-Martín, Professor of Economics at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, who participated in the XXXII Conference of Association economy of health (AES), the Congress on more important health economics of Spain.

Not in vain, postulated Jiménez-Martín, chronic diseases are the leading cause of care demand in the health centres in Spanish, being 80% of primary care consultations and 60% of hospital admissions ”. Is not uncommon, therefore, that the future arises complicated assistance taking into account the ageing of the population that suffers from this country. coordination health white paper, estimated that you by the year 2020 these chronic diseases are the leading cause of disability and dependence and that by 2030 it will double its incidence en mayores de 65 años”, notes the expert. In fact, over the age of 65 are already currently half of the hospital beds, as well as half of spending on drugs it is also designed to pharmaceutical consumption of chronic patients.

is there a solution?

Not only the possible consequences of the ageing of the population, but their possible solutions were discussed at the workshops of the AES. In particular, Jiménez-Martín points start towards implementing underway of a health Pact. This would imply the existence of a Council Interterritorial health only encompassed the representatives of health and social services and to keep the overall strategies of health outside of partisan struggles ”.

Also, bet for a new model of chronic care, with a lower costs without loss of quality in nursing homes and day centres, together with an ongoing evaluation of the experiences of coordination integration to be taken and a reform of the current system of funding towards one that it provides no way stalls health services and social services, which hardly escapes the risk inefficiently allocate resources between the two systems ”. The expert advocates, in addition, the integration of social services in all essential services, publicly funded health services and education, as well as new fiscal tools and assurance to increase the collection directly, to alleviate the current financial inadequacy of the system ”.

Another field in which the system could improve its efficiency, according to this expert, is in the network of family care, with a new model of delivery, in which primase services above the economic benefits. Coordination of the different services, collaboration between private public health or the development of the Individual health card are other options that Jiménez-Martín puts on the table in Congress.

The AES XXXII hours were held from 15 to 18 may in Bilbao and had venues as the Auditorium of the University of the country Basque UPV/EHU (Bizkaia Aretoa) and the CRAI library of the University of Deusto, located one against another in the Centre of the city.