Healthcare Mobility on the Rise: When and Why Italians are Traveling Far from Home for Treatment
In the hopes of receiving the best treatment for their illness, hundreds of thousands of Italians are leaving their home regions to seek medical care elsewhere, according to recent data from the Health Statistics and Information Flows Office of Agenas, the National Agency for Regional Health Services. The numbers reveal that in 2022 alone, almost 630,000 hospitalizations were carried out outside the Region, an increase from 498,000 in 2020, the year of the pandemic.
But why are so many Italians traveling for treatment, and is it always necessary? In many cases, healthcare mobility can be attributed to the lack of specific services in a person’s home region, leading them to seek care elsewhere. Highly complex surgical operations, specialized treatments for rare diseases, diagnostic tests, and specialized therapies are among the reasons driving this migration.
However, the Agenas report also highlights that healthcare migration is not always due to the unavailability of services. In some cases, people are traveling for treatments and services that are already available in their home regions, indicating potentially “inappropriate” hospitalizations. These unnecessary travels, along with the economic costs borne by the regions, underscore the need for better organization and distribution of healthcare services.
The report also sheds light on the disparities between regions in terms of their ability to satisfy the healthcare needs of their residents. Using a new parameter called the “Isdi – Domestic demand satisfaction index,” Agenas evaluated the extent to which healthcare facilities in each region are meeting the needs of their inhabitants. The results of this evaluation serve as an important tool for better organizing the production of services and performances, potentially reducing the need for healthcare migration.
Efforts are being made in some regions to contain healthcare migration and improve response capacity in local areas. For example, the Calabria Region recently signed an agreement with Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome to strengthen the regional pediatric network and provide specialist visits and teleconsultation services, reducing the need for families to travel for medical care.
The data from the Agenas report, if interpreted correctly by the regions, can serve as a valuable resource for reorganizing the offer of services and benefits based on the needs of their populations. Identifying the reasons behind healthcare migration and addressing them through improved healthcare services and distribution can play a critical role in reducing unnecessary healthcare travels and ensuring that individuals receive the care they need closer to home.