Fady Chreih, CEO REGINA MARIA: We are an integral part of the Romanian healthcare system
Women access preventive services 3 times more often than men and go to the doctor to solve their health problems 2 times more often than men, according to the findings of the “Health of the Nation” study, conducted by the REGINA MARIA health network, based on an analysis of its internal data. This proportion holds among both subscribers and non-subscribers.
The most frequent preventive procedures performed within the network in the last year are the usual blood tests and thyroid ultrasound, followed by gender-specific tests – Babes Pap smear – for women and PSA – for men. Breast, skin and lung cancer screening for women and skin and lung cancer screening for men complete the top of the list of screening procedures.
„What we called `Health of the Nation` is an X-ray of Romanians’ health in the past two years, after the pandemic, and a complex process which highlights health-related traits and behaviors at every stage of a patient’s journey: from prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and medical assessment,” said Fady Chreih, CEO, REGINA MARIA.
The average patient with a subscription accessed 23 tests in the last year, almost twice as many as patients without a medical subscription. REGINA MARIA data shows that the number of medical tests in the network tripled in 2023 compared to 2018. The most commonly requested tests are hemoleukogram, ALT (alanine aminotransferase), serum creatinine, serum glucose and AST (aspartate aminotransferase), reflecting the needs for monitoring general health, liver and kidney functions, and glucose levels. Significant increases in cholesterol tests are also observed, especially after the pandemic.
„ These results show us a significant increase in the number of routine tests carried out by patients, a clear sign that people are becoming increasingly concerned about their health and the prevention of medical problems. This is an extremely encouraging trend, reflecting a growing awareness of the importance of regular health monitoring and early detection of possible conditions. We are pleased to see that our patients are beginning to pay more attention to prevention and to adopt a proactive approach to their own health care. We are also seeing a significant increase in genetic testing over the last five years, which confirms that this type of diagnosis is becoming more widely known and used,” said Dr. Radu Boari, Primary Care Physician, Occupational Medicine.
If, in 2018, a REGINA MARIA patient accessed, on average, 6.23 lab tests per year, in 2023, the number increased to an average of 10.18 lab tests per year.
REGINA MARIA covers over 8% of Romanian’s need for medical services
According to the study, in 2023, REGINA MARIA served 8.3% of Romania’s registered population as a complementary part of the national health system, relieving the public system from overburden in delivering the necessary medical services to patients
„ We have said it before and we will continue to repeat it: REGINA MARIA is an integral part of the Romanian healthcare system. Through everything we develop, through all the infrastructure we build, we support Romanians’ health. Patients confirm this by accessing more and more medical services year after year, and the data shows that we are relieving a very important part of the public health system”, emphasized Fady Chreih, CEO, REGINA MARIA.
A key role is played by medical subscriptions, which support prevention and encourage Romanians to take care of their health by proactively going to the doctor. According to the data, Regina Maria subscribers made, on average, 7 doctor visits a year, 27.3% more than the OECD average of 5.5 for the Romanian patient in general.
“We cultivate prevention through medical subscriptions. It’s not an exaggeration, but a fact demonstrated by all the results we have seen so far – the growth of our portfolio of companies, our partners’ retention rate of over 98%, the evolution of the rate of access to services by subscribers – and by the statistics we have access to: a subscriber goes to the doctor on average 7 times a year. We are already witnessing a profound change in Romanians’ preventive behavior. Our subscribers are not only more aware and better informed about their health, but they are also further promoting proactive visits to the doctor among their family and circle of friends”, said Andreea Minuță, Executive Director, Regina Maria Subscriptions Division.
At the same time, subscriptions also support patients in realizing savings when it comes to healthcare spending. In 2023 alone, by accessing free or discounted services, Regina Maria subscribers saved #subscription almost EUR 300 million. Moreover, according to the network’s data, 1 in 5 employees in the private sector in Romania has a subscription within the network.
The study can be accessed here.
Bucharest, October 2024
Mrs. Andreea Minuță, Executive Director, Regina Maria Subscriptions Division
and Mr. Mihai Manea, CEO of Nine O’Clock
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