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: 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 not found.

Available type of information:

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:

Open data access: Information is partially publicly available. Publicly available data can be found here.

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information can be found here.

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:

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:

Open data access: Data is partially publicly available. Publicly available data can be found here.

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information can be found here.

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:

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:

Open data access: Data is partially publicly available. Publicly available data can be found here and here.

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information can be found here.