Beáta Gavurová

The possibilities of day surgery system development within the health policy in Slovakia

BackgroundIn the day surgery system are intertwined elements of state health policy, health care payers’ interests, employers of health care system, as well as the interests and wishes of patients. A problem in the health policy is to find a way to regulate ambulatory and short-term surgical procedures, which are hardly distinguishable, and still fulfil the requirements of transparent financing, quality and security. The objective of this paper is to highlight the reasons for the long-term stagnation in Slovakia day surgery and the possibilities of eliminating the structural drivers causing this negative phenomenon.MethodsDue to the nature of the analyzed data and desired outcomes, we selected application of correspondence analysis. Results of correspondence analysis provide valuable information necessary for the projection of specialization of one day surgery clinics for that type of procedure, as well as for the support of the new clinics creation (also with the potential state support), the pricing policy, systemic reduction of beds what is connected with reduction of underutilized departments in hospitals, in order to optimize management processes in the healthcare system.ResultsContribution reveals negative aspects which causing a low level of day surgery in Slovakia. Moreover, it reveals the approaches of the different subjects of day surgery. Presented options for setting optimal strategy supporting its development are based on the results of the analysis. Correspondence analysis provided valuable information of present structure of the day surgery system. The determined similarity of the regions and association of specialized fields indicate specific settings of the day surgery system and its components that are inevitable to analyze in the subsequent analytical process.ConclusionsResults of the analysis are very important in order to set up the system measures in the process of its further development, which should be part of the strategic plan of each health system. On conceptual and methodological issues related with reporting of day surgery performances are highlighting international organizations such as the OECD,WHO.JEL classificationI13, I18, H51

Quantification and comparison of avoidable mortality – causal relations and modification of concepts

The fundamental criticism of the analyses of relations between the allocated sources into healthcare system and general indicators of health status (represented by mortality) form a concept of avoidable mortality. The concept is a result of a reaction of many specialists in this field. The efficient concept of avoidable mortality that consists of treatable and preventable mortality components should provide prominent information that is not directly absorbed in the metrics of general mortality rate traditionally used for measuring the healthcare systems’ outputs. Permanent evaluation of the concept is based on confrontation of actual and relevant facts and supported by significant evidence from analytical outputs. This evaluation may help to form an efficient tool for measuring the amenable mortality with system connections as within health care system so in social policy, long-term health care policy, etc. The aim of this article is an analysis and evaluation of avoidable mortality development at conceptual and evaluative level and a specification of advantages and limitations that result from this concept. The analyses’ outputs represent a valuable platform for revision of strategic framework of the Slovak healthcare as well as for formation of targeted policies that focus on increase of healthcare system efficiency.

Comparison of selected methods for performance evaluation of Czech and Slovak commercial banks

The successful development of economy is based on the efficient and stable performance of commercial banks. A broad range of methods is used to evaluate them. Each method has its own specific features and logic, which results in the existence of discrepancies in the results of their evaluation. For this reason, as well as due to the elimination of model risk, numerous methods are recommended in practice to detect multidimensional disproportions in bank performance and to create a comparator base. This led to the realization of the research aimed at assessing the performance of selected Czech and Slovak banks by applying several methods and evaluating the process and outcome differences of these methods. The data were obtained from the non-consolidated financial statements published in the annual reports of the evaluated banks. The analysis showed that all methods have roughly the same results. Almost perfect correlation had been found not only among the methods of multi-criteria evaluation, but also among the other investigators.

Innovation policy as the main accelerator of increasing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in Slovakia

Abstract The importance of innovative activities lies in the development of future competitiveness, improving the efficiency of the economy as well as its ability to act. Effective innovation development requires the existence of functional innovation system consisting of institutions, policies and tools which create conditions to foster innovation. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role. The fundamental problem of a lack of innovation development in Slovakia is non-systematic tools focusing on companies that do not have sufficient resources. Although the problem is the lack of innovation knowledge base, as well as poor innovation management. The aim of the article is to provide a general picture of the innovation development of Slovakia. Introductory part of the article is a historical guide of innovation development, presented are the basic directions and tendencies of development of the innovation system, with attention focused mainly on the lack of linkage between business sector and scientific research activities of universities. The analytical section is devoted to the research results realized in Slovakia. In the first research we deal with the financing of innovative development of SMEs, venture and development capital, which is in Slovak conditions used insufficiently. In the second research we have looked at issues of innovation development in the healthcare sector and we bring selected partial results.

Combined forecasts to improve Survey of Profession Forecasters predictions for quarterly inflation in the U.S.A.

Abstract The main aim of this study is to evaluate and improve the Survey of Professional Forecasters (S.P.F.) quarterly inflation rate forecasts. According to the Diebold–Mariano test, on the horizon 1991:Q1–2015:Q1, there were no significant differences in accuracy between the four types of predictions provided by SPF (mean forecasts, median predictions, predictions of financial service providers [f1] and predictions of non-financial service providers [f2]). The main contribution is given by the use of the algorithm for stochastic search variable selection in order to construct Bayesian combined predictions. Considering the horizon 2013:Q1–2015:Q1, the proposed Bayesian combined predictions for rate of change in the quarterly average headline consumer price index (C.P.I.) level outperformed the initial experts’ expectations. The combined predictions based on the Bayesian approach and principal component analysis for core inflation and personal consumption expenditures inflation improved the accuracy of S.P.F. predictions and naïve forecasts on the horizon 2015:Q1–2016:Q1.

Predictive potential and risks of selected bankruptcy prediction models in the Slovak business environment

In our study, we focused on the assessment of four bankruptcy prediction models, to figure out which model is most appropriate in the conditions of the Slovak business environment. Based on the previous research within the Slovak conditions, we set a portfolio of 4 models to be assessed: Altman model (1984), Ohlson model (1980), indexes IN01 and IN05 that were validated on the sample of 700 Slovak companies. Based on previous studies we expected that IN indexes are superior to Ohlson and Altman model. The excellency of our research lies in validation and assessing the accuracy of bankruptcy prediction models at three levels: the overall accuracy, accuracy of the bankruptcy prediction, and the non-bankruptcy prediction accuracy. This analytical structure enables to look at the topic more complexly and to increase the objectification of accuracy of analysed models. Based on the results, we showed that Ohlson model is not applicable to predict bankruptcy in the Slovak conditions as reached the lowest bankruptcy prediction ability even if has high non bankruptcy prediction ability. On the other hand, we have confirmed our expectation about the bankruptcy prediction ability of index IN05, that is proven to be superior to Ohlson and Altman model and so is the most appropriate model for Slovak business environment.

Standardised mortality rate for cerebrovascular diseases in the Slovak Republic from 1996 to 2013 in the context of income inequalities and its international comparison

Non-communicable diseases represent one of the greatest challenges for health policymakers. The main objective of this study is to analyse the development of standardised mortality rates for cerebrovascular disease, which is one of the most common causes of deaths, in relation to income inequality in individual regions of the Slovak Republic. Direct standardisation was applied using data from the Slovak mortality database, covering the time period from 1996 to 2013. The standardised mortality rate declined by 4.23% in the Slovak Republic. However, since 1996, the rate has been higher by almost 33% in men than in women. Standardised mortality rates were lower in the northern part of the Slovak Republic than in the southern part. The regression models demonstrated an impact of the observed income-related dimensions on these rates. The income quintile ratio and Gini coefficient appeared to be the most influencing variables. The results of the analysis highlight valuable baseline information for creating new support programmes aimed at eliminating health inequalities in relation to health and social policy.

Similarity of Slovak regions in neoplastic mortality in the context of risk factors and access to health care

AIM Access to primary health care is highly connected to the prevention of cancer mortality, since the risk factors threatening health can be early identified. The aim of this paper is, firstly, to explore similarity within and between the regions of the Slovak Republic and cancer mortality patterns, and secondly, to reveal if similar regions are characterised by the similar access to health care or risk factors occurrence. METHODS Data on deaths by sex, type of cancer death and region from 1996 to 2014 is provided by the National Health Information Centre of Slovakia. The relationships between 8 regions and 16 cancer types are described by correspondence analysis for both sexes. RESULTS The most similar cancer mortality patterns among Slovak regions are between the Nitra and Trnava regions for both sexes, and the Košice region for males. The Prešov region is showed as an outlier from other regions for females, likely due to the highest concentration of Roma marginalised communities. As for access to health care, the Trnava region as well as Nitra region report the lowest densities of physicians, 2.4 and 2.6 per 1,000 inhabitants, respectively. The most serious cancer types mortality is attributed to the digestive organs (C15-C26) in each Slovak region for both sexes with the average proportion of 35.56%. Observed high association between the Nitra region and respiratory cancer (C30-C39) in males may be confirmed by the increased incidence of radon in this region. Similarly, a tight relationship between the Bratislava region and cancer of male genital organs (C60-C63) can relate to the highest proportion of drug users in the Bratislava region. CONCLUSIONS Based on the findings of similar regions in cancer mortality patterns, we recommend to set the same prevention programs in the Trnava and Nitra regions, on the other hand, different preventive interventions should be introduced in the Prešov region.

The Significance of Amenable Mortality Quantification for Financing the Health System in Slovakia

Abstract The indicators’ values of health condition of the Slovak citizens significantly lag behind the most developed countries. The issue of healthy inhabitants is more connected with a treatment of bad health condition than with a non-health prevention, which is believed to be caused by social and political development over the last decades. Measuring the influence of health system on inhabitants’ health is very difficult due to the influences of various factors, such as wealth, socio-economic status, citizens lifestyle, quality of environments, etc. Consequently, an amenable mortality indicator is used to evaluate the health system except of the life expectancy indicator. It defines a mortality that should not have occurred in case of effective and early treatment. It only takes into consideration those diagnoses, where effective treatment exists before a certain age limit (75 years) according to experts. The number of these deaths is standardized on 100,000 citizens. The amenable mortality indicator has a great significance for standard comparisons, however, its application also causes methodological issues, such as data quality of mortality, choice of diagnoses, weight of diagnoses, etc. In the international comparing, it is very often deduced from a fact that each country spends different amount of funds on health, while the differences may be connected with a different effectiveness of invested funds in the health systems. The article reflects on the given facts and its aim is to evaluate the development of amenable mortality in Slovakia over the last ten years, as well as to compare the development of this indicator in the EU countries. Similarly, it assesses the significant methodological issues that are related to indicators application and defines the causes of extreme differences that were found out by the results on the basis of the given outputs.

A slack-based measure of agricultural efficiency in the European Union countries

The main aim of this study is to examine the relative efficiency of agriculture in the European Union using Data Envelopment Analysis for the period 20052015. We have examined the relative efficiency using non-radial and non-oriented slacks-based model (SBM) under the assumption of a variable return to scale. We have looked for causes of inefficiency and have come up with the recommendations how to change input and output variable to reach the efficiency frontier. The results show that, on average, the European Union agricultural sector has been performing efficiently, and its development could be considered as stable. After taking into account the size of the economies in form of gross domestic product in market prices, we can say, that the efficiency was positively affected mainly by the development in large countries. By examining the optimal values for the variables used in the SBM model, it has been found that on average for the movement on the efficiency frontier it is necessary to reduce both inputs (labour and utilised agricultural area) and simultaneously increase both outputs (animal and crop production).