Healthcare development

NALED has become a key platform for dialogue between the state, the private sector, and the scientific community in the field of healthcare. Through its initiatives, NALED has contributed to the adoption of new laws and by-laws, the development of digital solutions, and the strengthening of public–private cooperation.

Recognizing the importance of advocacy in establishing an efficient healthcare system, NALED, at the initiative of its members, founded the Healthcare Alliance in 2018. This working body brings together representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, the IT sector, scientific institutions, local self-governments, and healthcare providers, with the aim of improving the accessibility, quality, and efficiency of healthcare services in Serbia.

KEY INITIATIVES

Healthcare digitalization – development and implementation of the Unified Electronic Health Record (EHR), the eSick Leave system, improvements to eReferrals and ePrescriptions, as well as the adoption of action plans for the digital transformation of the healthcare system.

Public–private sector integration – inclusion of private healthcare providers in the National Health Insurance Fund (RFZO) system, administrative simplification of the establishment and operation of healthcare institutions, and the creation of a unified framework for cooperation.

Improvement of medicines regulation – optimization and digitalization of procedures for the registration and market placement of medicines, alignment with EU standards, and improved access to innovative therapies.

Development of clinical trials – acceleration of clinical study approval procedures, enabling the implementation of advanced therapies, and strengthening the regulatory framework through coordination with domestic and international partners.

Application of new technologies – development of a legal framework for the use of artificial intelligence and telemedicine, as well as support for the development of the BIO4 Campus and biotechnological innovations.

Public–private dialogue and research – implementation of analyses of patient and physician satisfaction, public opinion research in the field of genetics, and organization of the Biotech Future Forum and other international events.

RESULTS: HEALTHCARE DIGITALIZATION AND DATA GOVERNANCE

NALED actively participates in the digitalization of the healthcare system through its involvement in relevant working groups responsible for the establishment of new systems, with eHealth Records identified as a key priority. Among the most important outcomes in this area is NALED’s contribution to the drafting of the Law on Health Documentation and Records, adopted in 2023, which provides for the integration of archives of all healthcare institutions into a unified data system and the introduction of the Electronic Health Record.

With the support of international partners, NALED contributed to the development of the Digitalization Program of the Healthcare System of the Republic of Serbia for the period 2022–2026, along with accompanying action plans, through the organization of expert workshops and coordination of dialogue between competent institutions.

A particularly significant step forward was the reform of the eSick Leave system, which introduced a fully electronic process for opening and managing sick leave. NALED provided expert and analytical support to improvements in the regulatory framework and inter-institutional cooperation, significantly reducing the administrative burden for healthcare professionals, employers, and citizens, while enhancing process transparency, in cooperation with healthcare institutions and the National Health Insurance Fund. An episode of the NALED podcast “Reform Stories” was recorded on this topic, presenting the benefits of the new system to employers and citizens.

In cooperation with relevant institutions and with the support of donors, NALED actively promotes the services of the eSick Leave system and the eHealth portal, which enables citizens to access their personal health data and electronic health records, with the aim of increasing awareness and encouraging wider use in practice.

In 2023, NALED and Ipsos conducted a comprehensive Survey on Citizen and Physician Satisfaction with Public Healthcare, with the support of the E-Health Project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The survey placed special emphasis on the potential for further digitalization of healthcare services and user awareness of e-services.

In 2020, NALED published the first Healthcare Grey Book, containing 50 recommendations across three areas: healthcare services, financing and system capacities, and access to medicines. Priority recommendations focused on the digitalization of services for citizens and businesses, faster inclusion of medicines on reimbursement lists, and integration of the public and private healthcare systems.