Abstract:

The purpose of this article is to analyze the healthcare policy in the light of securing citizens' interests by bringing the perspective of patients' advocacy organizations. The paper tries to supplement the discussion on the role of this particular group of stakeholders in the decision-making process in the healthcare sector. Referring to empirical examples, the author assumes that the entire Polish healthcare system does not serve patients' interests well because of organizational, financial and personnel shortages, while the constitutional promise of equal access to healthcare services is paradoxically an effective barrier to any changes aimed at improving the way of functioning of the system. Despite the impression of a "patient-centered turn" in the healthcare policy in Poland, the organized interests of patients centered around advocacy organizations still have little impact on the process of formulating and implementing important changes in this sector policy.

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