Republic of Cyprus

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Healthcare System

The Republic of Cyprus uses a universal healthcare system called the National Health Insurance System (NHIS), which was implemented in 2019. This system provides comprehensive health coverage for all Cypriot citizens and legal residents, as well as EU citizens, third-country nationals with legal residence, and documented asylum seekers. It is financed through taxation and contributions from employees, employers, and the state.

The Cyprus Ministry of Health oversees the NHIS at the national level, while the Health Insurance Organization (HIO) is responsible for its administration and management. The HIO collaborates with local healthcare providers and regional managers to ensure efficient and effective delivery of healthcare services across the country.

Through the NHIS, the population of Cyprus enjoys a wide range of healthcare benefits, including primary care, specialist consultations, hospital care, maternity services, mental health services, dental care, and prescription medications. Preventive care services, such as vaccinations and screening programs, are also provided as part of the NHIS.

To access the healthcare benefits provided by the NHIS, individuals must be either citizens of Cyprus or legal residents of the country. Additionally, they must be registered with the HIO and have a valid social insurance number. Upon registration, individuals receive a health insurance card, which is used to access healthcare services at public and private healthcare providers who are contracted with the HIO.

The Republic of Cyprus has adopted electronic health records (EHRs) to streamline the process of managing patient information and healthcare services. Healthcare providers submit claims data and update patient registries through a centralized, secure digital system. This system facilitates efficient sharing of patient information between providers, enabling them to coordinate care and make informed clinical decisions. The EHR system also assists in the management of healthcare resources and allows for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the NHIS to ensure its effectiveness and sustainability.

Administrative or Claims Data

Database: CyStat Health and Hospital Statistics

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Statistical Service of Cyprus; Ministry of Finance.

Primary purpose: To provide an overview of public medical services, health, and morbidity in Cyprus.

Type of information: Data dictionary was not found. Data includes in-patients treated and discharged from general and rural hospitals, surgical procedures for in-patients and out-patients, out-patient visits at general, special, and rural hospitals and health centers, bed occupancy rates, paramedical services, health indicators, healthcare expenditure, causes of death, and health personnel. The data primarily focuses on public health services due to limited detailed information for the private sector. Private sector data includes the number of doctors, dentists, nurses, clinics, beds, discharges, bed days, and related figures. [1]

Available type of information: In-patients Discharged from General and Rural Hospitals; Disease Category; Out-patient Attendances to Health Care Providers Contracted with GHS; Type of Attendance (Speciality); Disease Category ICD-10; Year; Sex; Age Group; Out-Patient Attendances at General; Health Centres; Deaths; Cause of Death [2].

Source of Information: Inpatient discharges: Electronic data on patient discharges from SHSO medical institutions are collected from all hospitals. Micro databases are sent to the Statistical Service for processing and analysis by Statistics Officers.

Outpatient attendances: Data on outpatient visits at GHS-enrolled medical institutions and physicians' offices are obtained from the HIO's IT system.

Causes of death: The Cause of Death Register, owned by the Health Monitoring Unit of the Ministry of Health, serves as the source, including all deaths in Cyprus and Cypriot residents' deaths abroad. [3]

Data level: Patient level.

Available data level: National level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: Unknown.

Cancer Areas of Interest: Unknown.

Data access: Partially publicly available under "Health" [1]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [2].

Contact information: Information [3].

Registries

Database: Cyprus Cause of Death

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Ministry of Health.

Primary purpose: To provide a comprehensive source of mortality statistics for public health surveillance.

Type of information: Cause of death; Age; Sex; Disease or condition directly leading to death; Antecedent causes; Morbid conditions, if any, giving rise to the cause, stating the underlying condition last; Other significant conditions contributing to death, but not related to the disease or condition causing it; Approximate interval between onset and death; Date of death; Manner of death; Date of injury; If the injury occurred at work; Place of death; Place of injury; How the injury occurred; If was an autopsy performed; If does the cause of death declared into takes account of autopsy findings; If further information will be available later; If female, indicate: death occurred during pregnancy, death occurred within 42 days after pregnancy, death occurred between 42 days and 1 year after pregnancy. Data dictionary was not found. Methodology information [4]. More metadata information [5].

Source of Information: Unknown.

Data level: Patient level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: Unknown.

Cancer Areas of Interest: Unknown.

Data access: Not publicly available. Reports information [6] and [7]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [8].

Contact information: Information [9].

Database: Cyprus Cancer Registry

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Ministry of Health.

Primary purpose: To provide a comprehensive source of cancer statistics for public health surveillance.

Type of information: Number of cases; Sex; Age-group; Type of facility; Healthcare sector; Year; District; Hospital/Clinic; Basis of diagnosis; Residencial status; Ethnicity; Summary stage; ICD-10 group; Cause of death; Vital status; Month of incidence; Cancer therapy; Cancer surgery. Data dictionary not found. More methodology information [10].

Source of Information: Histopathology Laboratories; Cytology Department; Bone Marrow Registry; Pediatric Oncology Departments; Hematology Departments; Oncology Departments; Surgical Theatre Logbooks; Private Doctors.

Data level: Patient level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: Unknown.

Cancer Areas of Interest: Unknown.

Data access: Not publicly available. Reports information [11]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [12].

Contact information: Information [13].

Latest Policymaking Initiatives

Report: EU Country Cancer Profile 2023

Sponsor, manager or home institution: OECD and European Commission.

Primary purpose: To provide reliable data on cancer prevention and care, identifying trends, disparities, and inequalities among EU Member States and regions to guide interventions under Europe's Beating Cancer Plan.

Type of information: National cancer burden; Cancer incidence and mortality; Risk factors for cancer; Early detection programs (screenings); Cancer care performance, The impact of COVID-19 on cancer care.

Data level: National level.

Access to information: Access Information [14].

Cancer-related Patient Associations and Resources

Resource: ESMO Patient Guides (Republic of Cyprus)

Sponsor, manager or home institution: European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).

Primary purpose: Provide patients, their relatives and caregivers guides to better understand complex medical information about different types of cancer.

Available guides: Cancer Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic; Cancer Pain Management; Immunotherapy Side Effects; Survivorship; Breast Cancer; Ovarian Cancer; Cervical Cancer; Biliary Tract Cancer; Bone Sarcoma; Colorectal Cancer; Endometrial Cancer; Glioma; Head and Neck Cancer; Hepatocellular Carcinoma; Multiple Myeloma; Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer; Testicular Cancer; Pancreatic Cancer; Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

Type of information: Laymen-directed descriptions of specific cancers, their causes, diagnoses, treatment, screening, and side effects, among other relevant information for patients, their relatives and caregivers.

Access to information: Patient Guides [15].

Quality of Life and Palliative Care Research

List of Articles: Quality of Life [16] and Palliative Care [17].