title: Within the triangle of healthcare legacies: comparing the performance of South-Eastern European health systems.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inter-regional comparison of health-reform outcomes in south-eastern Europe (SEE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Macro-indicators were obtained from the WHO Health for All Database. Inter-regional comparison among post-Semashko, former Yugoslavia, and prior-1989-free-market SEE economies was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  United Nations Development Program Human Development Index growth was strongest among prior-free-market SEE, followed by former Yugoslavia and post-Semashko. Policy cuts to hospital beds and nursing-staff capacities were highest in post-Semashko. Physician density increased the most in prior-free-market SEE. Length of hospital stay was reduced in most countries; frequency of outpatient visits and inpatient discharges doubled in prior-free-market SEE. Fertility rates fell for one third in Post-Semashko and prior-free-market SEE. Crude death rates slightly decreased in prior-free-market-SEE and post-Semashko, while growing in the former Yugoslavia region. Life expectancy increased by 4 years on average in all regions; prior-free-market SEE achieving the highest longevity. Childhood and maternal mortality rates decreased throughout SEE, while post-Semashko countries recorded the most progress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant differences in healthcare resources and outcomes were observed among three historical health-policy legacies in south-eastern Europe. These different routes towards common goals created a golden opportunity for these economies to learn from each other.
authors.affiliation: a Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics, Faculty of Medical Sciences , University of Kragujevac , Kragujevac , Serbia.
authors.forename: Mihajlo Michael
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Jakovljevic
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Services Research , CAPHRI, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arsenijevic
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Services Research , CAPHRI, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pavlova
authors.affiliation: c Department of Public Health , I-CHER Interuniversity Centre for Health Economics Research, Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verhaeghe
authors.affiliation: d Section of International Public Health (S-IPH), Faculty of Health Sciences , University of Bielefeld , Bielefeld , Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Laaser
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Services Research , CAPHRI, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.|e Top Institute Evidence-Based Education Research (TIER); Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Groot
mesh_terms: D001723:Birth Rate / Q000639:trends; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005061:Europe, Eastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D006291:Health Policy; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Health indicators; Health resources; Population health; Post-Semashko; Socioeconomic transition; South-eastern Europe; Trend; Utilization; Yugoslavia