Satisfaction with Austria’s healthcare system is on the decline, according to a new survey.
The study, conducted by the opinion research institute Hajek on behalf of the Austrian Medical Chamber, shows that 70% of respondents believe the healthcare system is heading in the wrong direction.
When asked where the new government should allocate more funding, healthcare ranked top of the list. Respondents rated Austria’s medical care as “satisfactory.”
Some 52% of those surveyed said the federal government is ultimately responsible for funding the healthcare system, followed by health insurance companies at 17%.
In terms of accessibility, 71% of respondents consider a 15-minute journey to a general practitioner acceptable, while around a third feel their GP does not have enough time to address their questions.
When it comes to waiting times for specialist appointments in non-urgent cases, 19% are willing to wait a week, 34% are happy to wait up to two weeks, and another 34% can tolerate a wait of up to four weeks. Nearly half of respondents (47%) visited a private doctor in the past year.
To address these challenges, Johannes Steinhart, president of the Medical Chamber, has called for 1,000 additional positions for contracted doctors, pointing out that the number of practitioners has not kept pace with population growth.
Meanwhile, the Austrian Health Report, published by the Ministry of Social Affairs, highlights ongoing concerns over the nation’s health literacy.
The report shows that two-thirds of Austrians suffer from chronic conditions, many of which are linked to an unhealthy lifestyle, including insufficient exercise, alcohol consumption, and smoking. The most common chronic health issues include back pain (26%), allergies (20%), neck pain (20%), osteoarthritis (13%), headaches (8%), diabetes (6%), depression (6%), bronchitis/COPD (5%), and asthma (4%). These conditions result in women spending an average of 19.5 years and men 16.4 years in fair to poor health.
Additionally, the report points to a significant gap in health literacy, with half of respondents struggling to navigate health information and services. However, there has been some improvement: the proportion of people with adequate to excellent health literacy has risen from 48% in 2011 to 53% in 2023.
The study also underscores the impact of income and education on health, with those from lower educational or income backgrounds experiencing shorter life expectancies and spending more years in poor or average health.
