Healthcare reform in Lithuania: evaluation of changes in human resources and infrastructure

To evaluate the change in the healthcare indicators in major and minor counties of Lithuania following the healthcare reforms of 2002-5.

The healthcare indicators were defined in the strategy for restructuring the healthcare settings. There were eight supply indicators (related to human resources and infrastructure). Analysis was performed comparing de facto data of major and minor counties with planned indicators.

1) Human resources for health. The planned increase in the number of family physicians was achieved in both subgroups of counties, as was the percentage of population serviced by family physicians. The number of specialist physicians decreased in major counties while in minor counties it increased. The number of nurses was planned to decrease, however it increased. 2) Infrastructure. The number of beds in general and specialized hospitals as well as the number of obstetric beds decreased as planned. The increase in the number of day care and day surgery beds and in the number of nursing and long-term care beds was also achieved.

During the first stage of restructuring, two out of four indicators related to the human resources met the goals. During the same period all four indicators related to the infrastructure met the goals. Two indicators have deviated from the plans or shifted in the opposite direction. This suggests that planning of these indicators should be reconsidered in further plans and strategies.