The health care system in Poland: The case of Lodz as compared with foreign regions; A secondary analysis

This paper is based on the results of empirical research on the utilization of the Health Care System (HCS) by twelve study areas from seven countries (WHO/International Collaborative Study of Medical Care Utilization). The aim of the secondary analysis was to compare the health care needs, resources and determinants of use of the HCS between the Polish city, Lodz, and the remaining study areas. The chief findings were as follows: 1. 1. The level of needs for health care is higher in Lodz than in other study areas. 2. 2. The volume of HCS resources in Lodz is at the medium level, but its organization makes the utilization of the HCS difficult. 3. 3. The utilization of medical assistance by physicians in Lodz is near the median comparing with the remaining study areas but the lenght of hospital stay in Lodz is the longest among all study areas. Problems of the accessibility of medical assistance cause an overloading of the inadequate hospital system. 4. 4. The extra-medical causes of the use of the HCS are stronger in Lodz than in other study areas, whereas the medical determinants (perceived morbidity) are weaker.