CURRENT ECONOMIC AND MEDICAL REFORMS IN THE ROMANIAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

The "issue" of health has always been, both in social reality and in academia and research, a sensitive topic considering the relationship each individual has with his own health and the health care system as a public policy. At public opinion levels and not only, health care is the most important sector demanding the outmost attention, considering that individual health is the fundamental prerequisite for well-being, happiness and a satisfying life. The ever present research and practical question is on the optimal financing of the health care system. Any answer to this question is also a political decision, reflecting the social-economic value of health for a particular country. The size of the resource pool and the criteria and methods for resource allocation are the central economic problems for any health system. This paper takes into consideration the limited resources of the national health care system (the rationalization of health services), the common methods of health financing, the specificity of health services market (the health market being highly asymmetric, with health professionals knowing most if not all of the relevant information, such as diagnosis, treatment options and costs and consumers fully dependent on the information provided in each case) and the performance of all hospitals in Romania, in order to assess the latest strategic decisions (introduction of co-payment and merging and reconversion of hospitals) taken within the Romanian health care system and their social and economic implications. The main finding show that, even though the intention of reforming and transforming the Romanian health care system into a more efficient one is obvious, the lack of economic and demographic analysis may results into greater discrepancies nationwide. This paper is aimed to renew the necessity of joint collaboration between the economic and medical field, since the relationship between health and economic development runs both ways. (This paper was co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Programme of Human Resources Development 2007-2013, POSDRU/1.5/S/59184 "Performance and excellence in the economic science postdoctoral research in Romania" coordinated by the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies; my postdoctoral research period lasts from Nov. 2010 to Mar. 2013)health care system, rationalization, decentralization, co-payment, hospital mergers

Corporate social responsibility–analysing social and financial performance, the case of Romania

Our paper emphasizes the strategic importance of CSR both for companies and society as well. A comprehensive literature review reflects the challenges mainly associated with two different approaches: CSR as a profitable business practice that consolidates a good corporate image, or CSR as an inefficient way of using corporate resources, negatively correlated with financial performance. Our paper brings theoretical and practical evidence proving that CSR improves the business commercial and financial performance; certain correlations should be established between social and financial indicators. As a case study, we analyze an international company on the Romanian market that has increased its business performance by adopting different CSR measures.peer-reviewe

CURRENT ECONOMIC AND MEDICAL REFORMS IN THE ROMANIAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

The issue of health has always been, both in social reality and in academia and research, a sensitive topic considering the relationship each individual has with his own health and the health care system as a public policy. At public opinion levels and not only, health care is the most important sector demanding the outmost attention, considering that individual health is the fundamental prerequisite for well-being, happiness and a satisfying life. The ever present research and practical question is on the optimal financing of the health care system. Any answer to this question is also a political decision, reflecting the social-economic value of health for a particular country. The size of the resource pool and the criteria and methods for resource allocation are the central economic problems for any health system. This paper takes into consideration the limited resources of the national health care system (the rationalization of health services), the common methods of health financing, the specificity of health services market (the health market being highly asymmetric, with health professionals knowing most if not all of the relevant information, such as diagnosis, treatment options and costs and consumers fully dependent on the information provided in each case) and the performance of all hospitals in Romania, in order to assess the latest strategic decisions (introduction of co-payment and merging and reconversion of hospitals) taken within the Romanian health care system and their social and economic implications. The main finding show that, even though the intention of reforming and transforming the Romanian health care system into a more efficient one is obvious, the lack of economic and demographic analysis may results into greater discrepancies nationwide. This paper is aimed to renew the necessity of joint collaboration between the economic and medical field, since the relationship between health and economic development runs both ways. (This paper was co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Programme of Human Resources Development 2007-2013, POSDRU/1.5/S/59184 Performance and excellence in the economic science postdoctoral research in Romania coordinated by the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies; my postdoctoral research period lasts from Nov. 2010 to Mar. 2013

Principalii indicatori ai starii de sanatate si implicatiile lor economice

The state of health of a population has been analyzed and measured through various indicators. All previous analysis tried to determine wether a “healthier” population can improve the development of a country, or, similarly, if a “sicker” population consumes more than it produces, thus inducing a slower pace of development. Surprisingly or not, the case is different from one country to another, the historical perspective being an important determinant. The paper takes into consideration all major health indicators and shows the extent to which they can be related to economic growth and prosperity in case of Romania, through comparison with other European countries.health indicators, economic growth, population

Implicatiile socio-economice ale reformelor sistemelor de sanatate

There were three major types of health care systems that operated in Europe. Since none of them managed to offer maximum effects with minimum input, reforms all around the continent started to take place. The main purpose of these reforms is to try and mix the three existent models in order to create a better health care system, that improves both the quality of the services provided, as well as the satisfaction of pacients and the general state of health of the population. This paper aims to provide a clearer view of the three European models of health care systems, as well as the implications, both on the economy of the countries and on the population, that their reforms have.health care system; economy; reform

Impact of the Main Currencies Exchange Rates on the Romanian Economic Policy Transformation

Evolutions of the exchange rates in a contemporary competitive economy represent an influential marker in evaluating the effects of the governmental policies in field of monetary policy and marks future directions in developing the specific policies in the field. This study investigates how the exchange rates of EUR, USD, GBP and CHF were influenced by disturbing factors and the existence of potential quantitative correlations and dependencies among the four exchange rates in terms of uncertainty

Corporate Social Responsibility – Analysing Social and Financial Performance The Case of Romania

Our paper emphasizes the strategic importance of CSR both for companies and society as well. A comprehensive literature review reflects the challenges mainly associated with two different approaches: CSR as a profitable business practice that consolidates a good corporate image, or CSR as an inefficient way of using corporate resources, negatively correlated with financial performance. Our paper brings theoretical and practical evidence proving that CSR improves the business commercial and financial performance; certain correlations should be established between social and financial indicators. As a case study, we analyze an international company on the Romanian market that has increased its business performance by adopting different CSR measures.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); Social Performance; Financial Performance; Intangible Assets

In Vitro Toxicological Profile of Labetalol-Folic Acid/Folate Co-Administration in H9c2(2-1) and HepaRG Cells

Background and Objectives: The consumption of dietary supplements has increased over the last decades among pregnant women, becoming an efficient resource of micronutrients able to satisfy their nutritional needs during pregnancy. Furthermore, gestational drug administration might be necessary to treat several pregnancy complications such as hypertension. Folic acid (FA) and folate (FT) supplementation is highly recommended by clinicians during pregnancy, especially for preventing neural tube birth defects, while labetalol (LB) is a β-blocker commonly administered as a safe option for the treatment of pregnancy-related hypertension. Currently, the possible toxicity resulting from the co-administration of FA/FT and LB has not been fully evaluated. In light of these considerations, the current study was aimed at investigating the possible in vitro cardio- and hepato-toxicity of LB-FA and LB-FT associations. Materials and Methods: Five different concentrations of LB, FA, FT, and their combination were used in myoblasts and hepatocytes in order to assess cell viability, cell morphology, and wound regeneration. Results: The results indicate no significant alterations in terms of cell viability and morphology in myoblasts (H9c2(2-1)) and hepatocytes (HepaRG) following a 72-h treatment, apart from a decrease in the percentage of viable H9c2(2-1) cells (~67%) treated with LB 150 nM–FT 50 nM. Additionally, LB (50 and 150 nM)–FA (0.2 nM) exerted an efficient wound regenerating potential in H9c2(2-1) myoblasts (wound healing rates were >80%, compared to the control at 66%), while LB-FT (at all tested concentrations) induced no significant impairment to their migration. Conclusions: Overall, our findings indicate that LB-FA and LB-FT combinations lack cytotoxicity in vitro. Moreover, beneficial effects were noticed on H9c2(2-1) cell viability and migration from LB-FA/FT administration, which should be further explored