Alexandra-Mădălina Țăran, Mihaela Diaconu, Anamaria Vasiu, Marilen-Gabriel Pirtea
Good quality of public governance demonstrates a stronger positive impact on the health status at higher level of health financing, with this effect diminishing progressively across the distribution to lower allocation of health expenditures by the governments. Health financing exhibits a consistently robust positive relationship with the health status throughout the obtained interlinkages, remaining statistically significant across all inferences examined. The results display differences among the cross-country analysis that highlight the need to strengthen the governance administrative framework and ensure efficient management of financial resources to support the performance of healthcare systems. Furthermore, the results suggest the importance of implementing public strategies tailored to the emerging needs of the population and to focus on the developing health systems by supporting prevention, the digitalization of medical services, reduce health-related costs, and improving the population's access to quality medical services.
INTRODUCTION: This study aims to empirically investigate the relationships between governance quality and health outcomes, considering the mediating role of healthcare funding.
METHODS: The Gaussian Graphical Models (GGM) and the Ward method (hierarchical clustering) were used to investigate the relationship between good governance and health status, considering health expenditure as a key pathway to bridge health outcomes. This study comprises panel data covering the period from 2008 to 2024.
RESULTS: Good quality of public governance demonstrates a stronger positive impact on the health status at higher level of health financing, with this effect diminishing progressively across the distribution to lower allocation of health expenditures by the governments. Health financing exhibits a consistently robust positive relationship with the health status throughout the obtained interlinkages, remaining statistically significant across all inferences examined. The results display differences among the cross-country analysis that highlight the need to strengthen the governance administrative framework and ensure efficient management of financial resources to support the performance of healthcare systems. Furthermore, the results suggest the importance of implementing public strategies tailored to the emerging needs of the population and to focus on the developing health systems by supporting prevention, the digitalization of medical services, reduce health-related costs, and improving the population's access to quality medical services.
DISCUSSION: Moreover, streamlining the mechanisms for the allocation of financial resources can help reduce disparities between countries and improve the performance of healthcare systems. The findings contribute to the existing specialized body of knowledge on sustainable health systems and provide practical guidance for policymakers seeking to promote adapted health policies as regards the transition risk while safeguarding good health of the citizens.