Poland

Healthcare System

Poland has a universal healthcare system based on Social Health Insurance, managed by the National Health Fund (NFZ). It is financed through compulsory health insurance contributions in the form of earmarked payroll tax and government funds. Population coverage is nearly universal, but some gaps in public coverage exist.

The Ministry of Health oversees the healthcare system and shares governance with three levels of territorial government: municipalities (gmina) oversee primary care, counties (powiat) manage county hospitals, and districts (voivodeships) handle district hospitals. The NFZ operates at national and regional levels with 16 regional branches. Private facilities provide mainly outpatient care, presenting coordination challenges.

The system offers a wide range of services, including primary care, specialist consultations, hospital care, dental care, emergency care, diagnostic tests, preventive care, rehabilitation, mental health services, and prescription medications. Some services may require co-payments. Private sources account for 30% of current health spending, mainly due to out-of-pocket spending on pharmaceuticals.

Primary care is the entry point, with providers serving as gatekeepers for specialized care. To access services, citizens and residents must be registered with the NFZ and have valid insurance, obtained through employment, pension schemes, or social welfare programs. EU citizens with an EHIC can access services during temporary stays in Poland.

Healthcare providers submit claims data to the NFZ for reimbursement. The country is implementing electronic health records (EHRs) to improve data management, communication between providers, and patient care. The e-Health program aims to develop a comprehensive digital infrastructure for healthcare services, but EHR implementation is still ongoing and not yet fully realized across the entire system.

Administrative or Claims Data

Database: GUS Population Per Bed in Hospitals

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Główna Urząd Statystyczny.

Primary purpose: To comprehensively analyze hospitalization data to understand treatment reasons, procedures, and durations for all patients.

Type of information: Hospitalized, in sections: causes of diseases; Hospitalization rates by: gender, age groups, macroregions, and voivodships, according to diagnosis; Hospitalized in psychiatric entities conducting medical activity, by type of facility. More metadata information [1], [2].

Available type of information: Beds in general hospitals, beds in general hospitals per 10,000 people population, beds in cardiology wards per 10,000 people population, beds in cardiac surgery wards per 10,000 people population, beds in oncology wards per 10,000 people population, beds in psychiatric wards per 10,000 people population, beds in wards for chronically ill patients per 10,000 population, beds in psychiatric hospitals, beds in psychiatric hospitals per 10,000 people population.

Source of Information: Forms filled by multiple institutions [3].

Data level: Patient level.

Available data level: Regional and national level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: 2005-2021.

Cancer Areas of Interest: All.

Open data access: Partially publicly available [4]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [5].

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information [6].

Database: GUS General Hospitals by Type of Ward

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Główna Urząd Statystyczny.

Primary purpose: To comprehensively analyze hospitalization data to understand treatment reasons, procedures, and durations for all patients.

Type of information: Outpatient healthcare - infrastructure. Ambulatory health care - activities. Stationary health care - infrastructure. Stationary health care - activities. Medical rescue and first aid. blood donation. Medical staff. Diagnostic and treatment facilities and laboratories. Characteristics of medical facilities. Adaptation of facilities to the needs of people with disabilities. Departmental identification codes of healthcare entities. Organizational and legal features. Community and home medical care. Health prevention. Enterprises employing up to 9 persons: employees and salaries, outlays on fixed assets, gross fixed assets, revenues and costs. More metadata information [7], [8].

Source of Information: Forms filled by multiple institutions [9].

Data level: Patient level.

Available data level: Regional and national level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: 2004-2021.

Cancer Areas of Interest: All.

Open data access: Partially publicly available [10]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [11].

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information [12].

Database: SWAID Health and Healthcare

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Główna Urząd Statystyczny.

Primary purpose: To provide healthcare data to support research and policymaking.

Type of information: Data dictionary was not found.

Available type of information: Variables: SWAID Health and Healthcare.

Source of Information: Unknown.

Data level: Patient level.

Available data level: Regional and national level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: Unknown.

Available date range: 2010 onwards.

Cancer Areas of Interest: Malignant Neoplasms (C00-C96).

Open data access: Partially publicly available [13]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [14].

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information [15].

Database: NFZ Surgical Treatment of Tumors

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia.

Primary purpose: Provide information on oncological surgeries for the purposes of research and policymaking.

Type of information: Data dictionary was not found.

Available type of information: Total number of treatments; Treatments in the package oncology/KON; Treatments outside the package oncology/KON; Year of implementation; Tumor site; JGP Groups; Province; Providers; Number of centers; Percentage of surgical readmissions; Number of readmissions; Number of re-hospitalizations; MOU Group code; Percentage retries hospitalization; Diagnosis [16].

Source of Information: Diagnostics and Oncological Treatment (DILO) system cards.

Data level: Patient level.

Available data level: Hospital level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: Unknown.

Available date range: 2018 onwards.

Cancer Areas of Interest: Cancer Areas of Interest: NFZ Surgical Treatment of Tumors.

Open data access: Partially publicly available [17]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [18].

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information [19].

Compilation: NFZ

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia

Primary purpose: To provide healthcare information for the purposes of research and policymaking.

Type of databases: Information about benefits such as hospital treatment

Information on services provided with the main or coexisting diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Information on selected oncological and cardiological procedures and the number of deaths in stationary health care

Services in outpatient clinics related to tobacco addiction

Report on the monthly activity of Primary Health Care

Data from the implementation of preventive health programs - "Implementation of screening cytology"

Data from the implementation of preventive health programs - "Implementation of screening mammography"

Number of patients for whom the National Health Fund data reported reporting a service with a given main diagnosis code according to the ICD-10 classification

Number of benefits provided with a given recognition code of the main benefit reported according to the ICD-10 classification

Number of patients who were provided with the service with the main diagnosis C03, C04, C05, C06 (oral cancer) or the main diagnosis Z51 and the coexisting diagnosis C03, C04, C05, C06 and the value of services

Number of patients with the benefit provided in a given year, which was reported to the National Health Fund with a given recognition code of the main benefit according to the ICD-10 classification

Number of patients for whom the National Health Fund data reported reporting a service with a given main diagnosis code according to the ICD-10 classification for the first time

Number of patients who received services with the main diagnosis C10, C11, C13, C12 (throat cancer) or the main diagnosis Z51 and the co-diagnosis C10, C11, C13, C12 and the value of benefits

Number of patients who received a service with the main diagnosis C32 (laryngeal cancer) or the main diagnosis Z51 and the comorbid diagnosis C32, and the value of benefits

Number of patients who received the service with the main diagnosis C64, C65 (kidney cancer) or the main diagnosis Z51 and the co-diagnosis C64, C65 and the value of benefits

Number of patients who received the service with the main diagnosis C67 (bladder cancer) or the main diagnosis Z51 and the co-diagnosis C67, and the value of benefits

Number of patients who were provided with the service with the main diagnosis C34 (lung cancer) or the main diagnosis Z51 and the comorbid diagnosis C34, and the value of benefits

Number of patients who were provided with the service with the main diagnosis C25 (pancreatic cancer) or the main diagnosis Z51 and the comorbid diagnosis C25, and the value of benefits

Number of patients who received the service with the main diagnosis C16 (gastric cancer) or the main diagnosis Z51 and the co-diagnosis C16, and the value of benefits

Registries

Database: KRN Cancer Registry

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Krajowego Rejestru Nowotworów.

Primary purpose: Provide information on cancer epidemiology for the purposes of research and policymaking.

Type of information: Data dictionary was not found.

Available type of information: Cancer incidence; Mortality; Prevalence; Predictions; Survival; Population; Year; Voivodeship; Age; Age group; District; ICD10; Region; Sex; Cancer sites [20].

Source of Information: Information is collected on the basis of malignancy notification cards (form MZ/N-1a). Cancer mortality is based on death registries offered by the Główny Urząd Statystyczny.

Data level: Patient level.

Available data level: Regional and national level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: Unknown.

Available date range: 1999 onwards.

Cancer Areas of Interest: Cancer Areas of Interest: KRN Cancer Registry.

Open data access: Partially publicly available [21]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [22].

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information [23].

Database: GUS Demographic Database

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Główna Urząd Statystyczny.

Primary purpose: To provide information about vital statistics in order to support research and policymaking.

Type of information: Data dictionary was not found.

Available type of information: Available type of information: GUS Demographic Database.

Source of Information: The data presented in the tables are compiled based on the results of different National Censuses (NSP) conducted in the years 2002, 2011, and 2021.

Data level:Patient level.

Available data level: Regional and national level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: Unknown.

Available date range: 2002 onwards.

Cancer Areas of Interest: Cancer Areas of Interest: GUS Demographic Database.

Open data access: Partially publicly available [24], [25]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [26].

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information [27].

Cancer-related Patient Associations and Resources

Patient Association: Poznańskie Towarzystwo Amazonki

Primary purpose: To represent the interests of individuals after breast cancer treatment and promote their full psychophysical rehabilitation through various activities such as rehabilitation programs, social services, counseling, training, information dissemination, awareness campaigns, fundraising, and organizing leisure and cultural events.

Information: Contact information [28].

Association: Federacja Stowarzyszeń Amazonki

Primary purpose: To provide comprehensive support, assistance, and advocacy for individuals with breast cancer, including financial aid, training programs, awareness campaigns, representing their interests, promoting rehabilitation, and collaborating with relevant organizations and institutions.

Information: Contact information [29].

Association: Stowarzyszenie RakujeMY jak chcemy!

Primary purpose: To provide support, guidance, and empower girls diagnosed with breast cancer to live life on their own terms, maintaining their self-care, treatment, and embracing their beauty and active lifestyle throughout their cancer journey.

Information: Contact information [30].

Association: Stowarzyszenie Chorych na Czerniaka

Primary purpose: To support patients who receive a vaccine against malignant melanoma, advocate for the registration of the vaccine as a medicine, and provide assistance to patients and their families in fighting against this type of cancer.

Information: Contact information [31].

Association: Stowarzyszenie mężczyzn z chorobami prostaty Gladiator

Primary purpose: To consolidate and support patients affected by cancers of the genitourinary system and to disseminate medical knowledge for early disease detection, diagnosis, and prevention through education and distribution of educational materials.

Information: Contact information [32].

Association: Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Osób po Operacjach Onkologicznych w Zakresie Głowy i Szyi - Pomoc dla Życia

Primary purpose: To provide rehabilitation support, social activities, and camaraderie for individuals who have undergone head and neck oncological surgeries.

Information: Contact information [33].

Foundation: Fundacja ŚWIATŁO

Primary purpose: To provide psychological support and strengthen the mental well-being of oncological patients and their relatives, offering a range of free services including psychologists, psycho-oncologists, physiotherapists, dietitians, and cosmetologists.

Information: Contact information [34].

Association: Stowarzyszenie Kobiet z Problemami Onkologiczno-Ginekologicznymi Magnolia

Primary purpose: To support women during and after oncological and gynecological treatment, raise awareness about early detection of cancer in gynecology, and provide education on related health topics through information campaigns.

Information: Contact information [35].

Foundation: Fundacja Onkologiczna Alivia

Primary purpose: To fight cancer by advocating for equal access to quality cancer care, defending the dignity of cancer patients, providing tools for informed health decisions, and instilling courage in those affected by the disease.

Information: Contact information [36].

Foundation: Fundacja OnkoCafe - Razem Lepiej

Primary purpose: To protect and promote health, focusing on cancer prevention, supporting individuals during diagnosis and treatment, and providing assistance to patients' families and immediate environment.

Information: Contact information [37].

Foundation: Fundacja Rak’n’Roll. Wygraj Życie!

Primary purpose: To introduce a new standard of public debate on cancer, break the taboo around the disease, spread positive energy, empower cancer patients to fight for their femininity and dignity, and promote modern prevention methods.

Information: Contact information [38].

Compilation: ESMO Patient Guides

Sponsor, manager or home institution: European Society for Medical Oncology

Primary purpose: To translate complex medical language into understandable information for patients.

Available guides: Surviving Cancer; AML; Follicular lymphoma; CML; Glioblastoma; Bone Sarcoma; Soft Tissue Sarcomas; Colorectal Cancer; Breast Cancer; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Region; Cancer of the Uterus (Endometrium).

Type of information: Information on each guide varies for each cancer type. Generally, guides provide definitions, explanations of causes, diagnosis, treatment, treatment options, care after treatment, among others.

Access to information: List of guides [39].

Latest Policymaking Initiatives

Report: Health Statistical Bulletins

Sponsor, manager or home institution:

Primary purpose: Summarize health and healthcare information for each year.

Type of information: Population; Venereal disease incidence; Malignant tumor incidence in 2019; Tuberculosis incidence Incidence of certain infectious diseases; Medical personnel authorized to practice; Personnel working in healthcare facilities; Medical specialists employed in healthcare facilities; Dentists employed in healthcare facilities; Other specialists employed in healthcare facilities; Medical personnel working in outpatient healthcare facilities; Average medical personnel working in healthcare facilities; Medical personnel working in stationary hospitals; Blood donation stations and points; General stationary hospitals by regions and provinces; Activity of general stationary hospitals; Daytime activity of general hospitals; Beds in general stationary hospitals; Diagnostic laboratories in general stationary hospitals; Medical equipment; Dialysis stations and performed dialysis; Gynecological and obstetric departments in general stationary hospitals; Long-term stationary healthcare facilities; Finances of local independent public healthcare facilities by province.

Level: Regional and national level.

Date range: 2000 onwards.

Access to information: Access information [40].