Belgium's health care system : the way forward to address the challenges of the 21st century ; comment on 'Integration or fragmentation of health care? Examining policies and politics in a Belgian case study'
Auteurs & affiliatie
Jan De Maeseneer, Anna Galle
Abstract
In this paper we have tried, starting from the results of an analysis of the functioning of integrated care in the Belgian Health System by Martens, Danhieux, et al. (2021), to design a strategy that could contribute to better addressing the challenges of the 21st century in Belgium. We proposed health system changes at the macro-, meso-and micro-level. We focused on health policy development and organization of care, emphasizing the importance of a shift from a hospital-centric towards a primary care based approach. Special attention was paid to the need for institutional reforms, in order to facilitate the further development of interprofessional integrated care, that focuses on the achievement of the life-goals of a person.