Indeed, 65% of respondents stated that they considered the establishment of centres of excellence to have a positive impact on quality without necessarily reducing costs.Furthermore, participants anticipate that these centres of excellence will have a significant positive impact on technology/infrastructure (75%), access to comprehensive medical expertise (64%) as well as personalised treatments including better co-ordination (56%).

The survey was which was conducted following the findings of the first edition carried out in 2011. In the light of recent regulatory, organisational and financial changes which have impacted the health care system, the results reveal the latest perceptions and expectations held by a representative sample of Luxembourg patients regarding this sector.,

The main conclusions of the survey on how the healthcare system is perceived by consumers focus on four key themes:

A more divided vision
Although the healthcare system is perceived to be reliable (86% of respondents), healthcare consumers tend, nevertheless, to be more critical than they were in 2011 (96%). This scepticism has certainly been influenced by the economic crisis, however, this is not in itself enough to explain the trend.

Several options for the future of the Luxembourg healthcare system
Healthcare users have put forward several practical recommendations to improve the healthcare system, including: additional information and a better transparency on the quality and cost of treatments, reduced waiting times, introduction of the shared healthcare records (Dossier de soins partagé, or DSP), the promotion of preventive measures and greater recognition for preventive or alternative medicine.

The challenges of increased cross-border care
Patients are more and more likely to seek care outside of Luxembourg (38% in 2013, as opposed to 31% in 2011), in order to access hospitals and doctors capable of offering specific, targeted treatment.
The search for better-quality care and access to cutting-edge equipment and technology are also factors which motivate consumers to travel.
This increasing potential to use cross-border health care will transform the debate on national competitiveness into a regional or even a European discussion.

What about the latest technology?
As in 2011, the use of new technology seems to be well-received by healthcare consumers (including the introduction of the DSP for more than 80%  of the respondents). The participants seem willing to use technology for questions on their health conditions or for interacting with medical practitioners.
Online consultations, however, are still relatively poorly received (50% of people questioned), whereas the issue of data security is of greater concern for healthcare consumers in 2013 (60% of respondents, on average).

Presentation of the results of Deloitte’s 2013 survey
The key trends of this survey were presented at Deloitte Luxembourg’s 3rd annual conference on healthcare and life sciences, which took place on 22 January, in the presence of 80 professionals and experts from the Luxembourg healthcare sector. This event was organised in collaboration with the Fédération des Hôpitaux Luxembourgeois (Luxembourg Hospital Federation, FHL), and was chaired in turn by Lydia Mutsch, Luxembourg’s Minister for Health and Equal Opportunities, followed by Luc Brucher, Deloitte Partner and Healthcare & Life Sciences Leader, and finally by Paul Junck, President of the FHL.

Luc Brucher: “As our conference clearly confirmed, the new government agenda encompasses numerous healthcare plans, which are all intended to enhance the system to guarantee its long-term viability. This raises the question of how the implementation of these projects will be prioritised and on the basis of what criteria: financial impact, added-value for the patient, ease of deployment, degree of acceptance by the parties involved? Successful development of the system will depend, first and foremost, on the willingness of the various parties in the sector to engage in open discussion and to take decisions based, above all, on the best interests of the patient.”

To download the full report please visit: http://www.deloitte.com/lu/survey/health-2013