Slovenia

Healthcare System

Slovenia uses a universal healthcare system, which is primarily funded through the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (Zavod za zdravstveno zavarovanje Slovenije or ZZZS). The system provides comprehensive and compulsory health insurance coverage to all citizens and residents, with opting out not allowed.

The healthcare system is managed at the national level by the Ministry of Health, while the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZZZS) is responsible for administering the health insurance fund. There are also regional healthcare providers and institutions that operate under the guidance of the national framework. Municipalities have a role in overseeing the organization and provision of primary care, albeit limited in decision-making.

The population receives a wide range of healthcare benefits through the system, including primary care, specialist care, hospital care, dental care, maternity care, mental health services, preventive care, and prescription medications. Some services may require co-payments, but the majority of the costs are covered by the national health insurance fund. About 95% of the population purchases complementary Voluntary Health Insurance (VHI) mainly to cover co-payments.

To access the benefits of the healthcare system, individuals must be insured under the ZZZS. This insurance is mandatory for all citizens and residents, and it is typically provided through employment. Unemployed individuals, students, retirees, and other vulnerable groups are also insured through various social programs or via their family members' insurance.

In Slovenia, claims data, registries, and electronic health records are maintained and recorded using a combination of digital systems and traditional methods. The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) manages the national health registries, which include data on births, deaths, diseases, and treatments. Electronic health records are increasingly being adopted, with the eHealth project aiming to improve and integrate health information systems to facilitate better care coordination and information sharing among healthcare providers. GPs act as gatekeepers for accessing specialized care, and long waiting times for some specialist services persist.

Administrative or Claims Data

Database: NIJZ Death

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje.

Primary purpose: To provide data on deaths and natural population trends for the formulation of appropriate demographic, social, health and other policies at national and subnational levels.

Type of information: Data dictionary was not found. More metadata can be found here.

Available type of information: Number of deaths by sex, age and number of deaths per 1,000 population, average age of deaths, cause of deaths, life expectancy, and infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

Source of Information: Surveys. More information can be found in methodological document here.

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: Neoplasms (C00-D48).

Open data access: Data is partially publicly available. Publicly available data can be found here under "Health status of the population" > "Death". Information on how to access full database can be found here.

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

Database: NIJZ Sick Leave

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje.

Primary purpose: To monitor and analyse the causes and other characteristics of temporary absenteeism.

Type of information: Data dictionary was not found. More metadata can be found here.

Available type of information:

Source of Information: Public and private healthcare providers at the primary level (outpatient clinics of selected - personal physicians) report to the regional units of the NIJZ.

Data level: Patient level.

Available data level: National level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: 1983 onwards.

Available date range: 2000 onwards.

Cancer Areas of Interest: Neoplasms (C00-D48)

Open data access: Data is partially publicly available. Publicly available data can be found here under "Health status of the population" > "Sick Leave". Information on how to access full database can be found here.

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

Database: NIJZ Outpatient Health (ZUBSTAT)

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje.

Primary purpose: The purpose of the out-of-hospital health statistics database (ZUBSTAT) is to monitor, evaluate and plan curative and preventive health care at the primary and secondary levels.

Type of information: Data dictionary was not found. More metadata can be found here.

Source of Information: Reported by public and private healthcare providers.

Data level: Patient level.

Available data level: National level.

Number of Records: Unknown.

Date Range: 1996 onwards [1].

Cancer Areas of Interest: Neoplasms (C88-D48)

Open data access: Data is partially publicly available. Publicly available data can be found here under "Healthcare" > "Treatments at primary care level" and "Healthcare" > "Specialized outpatient treatments". Information on how to access full database can be found here.

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

Database: SVIT Response Rate

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Svit Program; Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje.

Primary purpose: To provide information on the colonoscopy screenings performed by the SVIT Program in order to support research and policymaking.

Type of information: Data dictionary was not found.

Available type of data:

Source of Information: Information collected by the SVIT Program.

Data level: Patient level.

Number of Records: Reports with number of participants for each year can be found here.

Date Range: 2010 onwards [2].

Cancer Areas of Interest: Malignant neoplasm of colon (C18); Malignant neoplasm of rectosigmoid junction (C19); Malignant neoplasm of rectum (C20); Benign neoplasm of colon, rectum, anus and anal canal (D12).

Open data access: Data is partially publicly available. Publicly available data can be found here under "Preventive Programs" > "National program for screening and early detection of precancerous changes and colon and rectal cancer (SVIT)". Reports can be found here.

Information/Contact for data request: Contact information can be found here at the end of the page.