Hungary
Go back to Cancer Centers list.
Cancer Centers
Healthcare System
Hungary operates a universal healthcare system based on a single health insurance fund that provides coverage for almost all residents. The benefit package offered by the health insurance fund is relatively limited compared to other EU countries.
The Hungarian healthcare system is highly centralized, with the national government responsible for setting strategic direction, controlling financing, issuing and enforcing regulations, and delivering most outpatient specialist and inpatient care. The Ministry of Human Capacities administers the health system through the National Healthcare Service Centre (ÁEEK), which is responsible for care coordination, hospital planning, and medical licensing. The ÁEEK also serves as an umbrella organization for regional and local health system agencies. The single health insurance fund is administered by the National Institute of Health Insurance Fund Management (NEAK), a government organization under the supervision of the Ministry of Human Capacities.
The population receives a range of healthcare benefits through the system, including primary care, hospital care, specialist consultations, dental care, prescription medications, preventive services, maternity care, rehabilitation services, and mental healthcare. However, the benefit package is relatively limited compared to other EU countries.
To access the benefits of Hungary's healthcare system, individuals must be insured under the National Health Insurance Fund, which is compulsory for all citizens, either through employment or through being a dependent of an insured person. Foreigners residing in Hungary can also access the healthcare system by contributing to the NHIF or through reciprocal agreements with their home countries.
In Hungary, the Electronic Health Service Space (EESZT) serves as the primary platform for recording and managing healthcare data, including claims data, patient registries, and electronic health records (EHRs). The EESZT aims to enhance the efficiency, accessibility, and security of patient information by providing a centralized, interoperable system that allows healthcare providers to access and update patient records, submit claims, and monitor their patients' health statuses. Healthcare delivery in Hungary remains very hospital-centric, with the national government being the main provider of both inpatient and outpatient services. A few local governments still own multi-specialty outpatient facilities (polyclinics).
Administrative or Claims Data
Database: KSH Morbidity and Accidents
Sponsor, manager or home institution: Központi Statisztikai Hivatal; Quality of Life Statistics Department.
Primary purpose: To describe the number, frequency, and other characteristics of certain illnesses and accidents.
Type of information: Data Dictionary: KSH Morbidity and Accidents Database. More metadata information [1].
Available type of information: Main diseases of adults; Year; Diseases; Period of time; Age-group; Sex; Geographic area and Main diseases of children [2].
Source of Information: Information comes from a combination of direct data collection (such as a report on the activities of family doctors and family pediatricians and the European Health Interview Survey) and administrative data transfer from various national institutions and organizations.
Data level: Patient level.
Available data level: National level.
Number of Records: Unknown.
Date Range: Unknown.
Available data range: 1999 onwards.
Cancer Areas of Interest: Malignant neoplasms (C00-C97).
Data access: Partially publicly available [3], under "Health" > "Morbidity and Accidents". Instructions to request data for restricted content [4].
Contact information: Information [5].
Database: KSH Inpatient Service
Sponsor, manager or home institution: Központi Statisztikai Hivatal; Quality of Life Statistics Department.
Primary purpose: To present data on capacity and patient turnover of inpatient service.
Type of information: Number of approved and operating hospital beds and their number per ten thousand inhabitants, number of nursing days, average length of stay in hospitals, number and rate of discharged patients per hundred inhabitants, bed occupancy rate, number of patients deceased in hospitals, hospital mortality rate by medical specialization and region, and state of new-borns needing intensive treatment by birth weight. Data dictionary was not found. More metadata information [6].
Available type of information: Number of hospital beds and patient turnover in hospitals; Year; Geographic area; Period of time; Fields of specialization; Number of approved hospital beds; Number of hospital beds in operation; Number of hospital beds in operation under local government supervision; Number of discharged patients; Number of patients deceased in hospital; Nursing days; Average length of stay; Bed occupancy rate in hospitals; Average length of nursing; Full nursing time; Number of one-day care cases [7].
Source of Information: The OSAP No. 2155: Report on hospital cases, which is a transmission of administrative data collected by the National Institute of Health Insurance Fund Management.
Data level: Patient level.
Available data level: Regional and national level.
Number of Records: Unknown.
Date Range: Unknown.
Available data range: 2012 onwards.
Cancer Areas of Interest: Unknown.
Data access: Partially publicly available [8] under "Health" > "Inpatient Services". Instructions to request data for restricted content [9].
Contact information: Information [10].
Registries
Database: Nemzeti Rákregiszter Cancer Registry
Sponsor, manager or home institution: Nemzeti Rákregiszter.
Primary purpose: To provide information about cancer epidemiology in order to support research and policymaking.
Type of information: Data dictionary was not found.
Available type of information: Diagnosis code; Examination year; Gender; County code [11].
Source of Information: Reports sent by hospitals.
Data level: Patient level.
Available data level: Regional and national level.
Number of Records: Unknown.
Date Range: 2000 onwards.
Cancer Areas of Interest: Cancer Areas of Interest: Nemzeti Rákregiszter Cancer Registry.
Data access: Partially publicly available [12]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [13].
Contact information: Information [14].
Database: KSH Cause of Death Registry
Sponsor, manager or home institution: Központi Statisztikai Hivatal.
Primary purpose: To provide statistical accounting of all deaths in Hungary and deaths abroad of persons with a Hungarian address.
Type of information: Demographic characteristics of the deceased (date of birth and death, place of death, marital status, citizenship, address, education, economic activity, occupation, employment relationship, data on the living spouse in the case of a deceased spouse, and the number of children in the case of deceased women) and causes of death (declarant of death, series of diseases leading to death and the date of their onset, circumstances of unnatural death). Data dictionary was not found. More metadata information [15].
Available type of information: County; District; Year; Place of death; Period of time; Month; Cause of death; Actual place of residence; The highest level of educational attainment of the deceased; Age; The person who stated the cause of death; Sex; Marital status. Infant deaths: Cause of infant deaths; Deaths under 1 year of age; Marital status of mother; Age-group of mother; Gestation period; Group of weight of infants deceased; The highest level of educational attainment of father; The highest level of educational attainment of mother; Live birth order; Mother's actual place of residence. Perinatal infant deaths: Deaths within 0-6 days and number of dead-born infants; Number of pregnancies; Perinatal age; Cause of perinatal deaths; Group of weight of perinatal deaths; Total birth order [16].
Source of Information: Direct data collection by the KSH (Hungarian Central Statistical Office) and various questionnaires, such as the "Death sheet," "Death Examination Certificate," "Notification on the modification of the Postmortem Certificate," "Perinatal post mortem certificate," and "Perinatal death (pathological) notice." In the case of death of Hungarian citizens abroad, the available data must be provided by the authority conducting the domestic civil registration.
Data level: Patient level.
Available data level: Regional and national level.
Number of Records: Unknown.
Date Range: Unknown.
Available date range: 2015 onwards.
Cancer Areas of Interest: Cancer Areas of Interest: KSH Cause of Death Registry.
Data access: Partially publicly available [17] under "Population" > "Mortality". Instructions to request data for restricted content [18].
Contact information: Information [19].
Databases for Clinical Trials, Surveys and Biobanks
Survey: European Population Health Survey
Primary purpose: To collect data on the population's health status, behavior, healthcare satisfaction, and meet international data requirements.
Sponsor, manager or home institution: Központi Statisztikai Hivatal (KSI).
Type of information: Perceived health; Limitation felt in carrying out everyday activities due to a health problem; Evaluation of the health of the teeth and oral cavity; Permanent illnesses diagnosed by a doctor; Use of medicines; Vegetable and fruit consumption; Alcohol consumption; Smoking; Sports activity, exercise; Body mass index; How much you can do for your health; Year; Sex; Age group; Region; Municipality of residence; Marital status; Economic activity; Level of education; Locality of residence; Household income per capita; General well-being ; Momentary well-beign; Current well-beign; Social support; Degree of urbanisation.
Data level: Respondent level.
Number of Records: 12,002 persons.
Date Range: 2009; 2014; 2019.
Cancer Areas of Interest: Malignant neoplams (C00-C97).
Data access: Partially publicly available [20]. Instructions to request data for restricted content [21].
Contact information: Information [22].
Clinical Practices Guidelines
Compilation: College of Health Professionals Guidelines
Sponsor, manager or home institution: Health Professional College and Ministry of Health.
Primary purpose: To guide healthcare professionals and other users in specific healthcare settings with evidence-based recommendations, aiming to improve the quality of care by considering scientific studies, clinical experience, patient perspectives, and the Hungarian healthcare system's peculiarities.
Type of information: Recommendations care, treatments, diagnoses, rehabilitation of many types of cancers.
Access to information: List of guidelines, search for oncology specialization [23]. For more information related to quality of life [24].
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 [25].
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: Cancer survivorship; Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Liver Cancer).
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 [26].
Quality of Life and Palliative Care Research
List of Articles: Quality of Life [27] and Palliative Care [28].
