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Comparative Study
. 2021 Aug-Sep;221(7):400-403.
doi: 10.1016/j.rceng.2020.11.006. Epub 2021 May 19.

Public healthcare expenditure and COVID-19 mortality in Spain and in Europe

F J Elola-Somoza  1 , M C Bas-Villalobos  2 , J Pérez-Villacastín  2 , C Macaya-Miguel  3
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Public healthcare expenditure and COVID-19 mortality in Spain and in Europe

F J Elola-Somoza et al. Rev Clin Esp (Barc). 2021 Aug-Sep.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Objective: To analyze the association between public health expenditure per capita and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 in Europe and Spain.

Material and methods: Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to compare and contrast the mortality rate due to COVID-19 between countries and autonomous communities with higher and lower public health expenditure per capita than the mean.

Results: No correlation between the public health expenditure per capita and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 (r: 0.3; p = 0.14) was found among European countries or Spain's Autonomous Communities (r: 0.03; p = 0.91). No significant differences were found when comparing the mortality rate due to COVID-19 among the public health expenditure per capita groups.

Conclusions: The available evidence does not support association between «low» public healthcare expenditure and the poor outcomes observed in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased funding for the Spanish National Health System should be earmarked for structural reforms to increase its social efficiency.

Objetivo: Analizar la asociación entre el gasto sanitario público per cápita y la tasa de mortalidad poblacional por COVID-19 en Europa y en España.

Material y métodos: Se utilizó el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson. Asimismo, se contrastaron los promedios de TMP-COVID-19 entre países y comunidades autónomas con mayor y menor GSPpc que el promedio.

Resultados: No se halló correlación, en los países europeos, entre el gasto sanitario público per cápita y la tasa de mortalidad poblacional por COVID-19 (r: 0,3; p = 0,14), ni en las comunidades autónomas (r: 0,03; p = 0,91). Tampoco se encontraron diferencias significativas en el contraste de la tasa de mortalidad poblacional por COVID-19 por grupos de gasto sanitario público per capita.

Conclusiones: La asociación entre «bajo» gasto sanitario público y malos resultados en España en la crisis de la COVID-19 no está sustentada en la evidencia disponible. Los aumentos de financiación de la sanidad pública deberían destinarse a las reformas estructurales para aumentar su eficiencia social.

Keywords: COVID-19; Gasto sanitario público; Mortalidad; Mortality; Public healthcare expenditure; Sistema Nacional de Salud de España; Spain’ National Health Service.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Public healthcare expenditure per inhabitant (2018) and mortality rate due to COVID-19 in Spain's Autonomous Communities. AND: Andalusia; AR: Aragon; CA: Canary Islands; CAM: Community of Madrid; C-LM: Castilla-La Mancha; CV: Valencian Community; CyL: Castile and León; EX: Extremadura; GAL: Galicia, IB: Balearic Islands; LR: La Rioja; MUR: Region of Murcia; PA: Principality of Asturias; PV: Basque Country.
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