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Denmark - Healthcare Professionals
Sundhedsvæsenet i Danmark er offentlig finansieret og tilbyder universel adgang til sundhedsydelser for alle borgere. Her er opgaverne fordelt mellem Sundhedsministeriet, Sundhedsstyrelsen, Danske Regioner, kommunerne og almen praksis.
Sundhedsministeriet danner rammen for sundhedsvæsenet ved varetagelse af lovgivningen og organiseringen af sundhedsvæsenets opgaver.
Sundhedsstyrelsen har ansvaret for specialeplanlægningen og har en rådgivende funktion for de danske regioner, kommuner og almen praksis.
De danske regioner har ansvaret for at styre og administrere det danske sundhedsvæsen. Regionerne har ansvaret for at udrede og behandle alle somatiske og psykiatriske patienter. Kommunerne har ansvaret for forebyggelse, pleje og genoptræning, behandling af alkohol- og stofmisbrug, hjemmesygepleje, tandpleje og socialpsykiatri. Almen praksis er den primære indgang til Sundhedsvæsenet for de danske borgere. Her behandles almindelige sygdomme. Almen praksis er også gatekeeper til specialiseret behandling andre steder i sundhedsvæsenet. Sundhedsministeriet, kommunerne og regionerne er folkevalgte. Derudover er der flere patientforeninger, som varetages af Danske Patienter. De forsøger at bringe patienternes perspektiv ind i styringen af det danske sundhedsvæsen.
Det danske sundhedsvæsen er centralt involveret i gennemførelsen af det EU-finansierede projekt ‘Joint Action on Integration of ERNs into National Healthcare Systems’ (JARDIN). Projektet har til formål at integrere de europæiske reference-netværk (ERN’er) i de nationale sundhedssystemer for at sikre en mere effektiv og koordineret behandling af patienter med sjældne og komplekse sygdomme. Et vigtigt mål er at forbedre patienters adgang til højt specialiseret behandling og ekspertvurdering på tværs af grænser. Dette opnås ved at skabe større gennemsigtighed i patientforløb, så det bliver klart, hvor og hvordan patienter kan få hjælp fra de rette specialister, samt hvad de kan forvente i forhold til behandling og opfølgning.
Projektet støtter også interoperabilitet mellem nationale og europæiske sundhedssystemer gennem forbedret datadeling, hvilket er essentielt for at sikre kontinuitet i behandlingen af sjældne sygdomme. En af de konkrete handlinger er implementeringen af Orpha-koder, som gør det muligt at beskrive sjældne sygdomme standardiseret på tværs af grænser. Dette letter deling af kritiske patientdata og sikrer mere præcise diagnoser og behandlinger.
The healthcare system in Denmark is publicly funded and offers universal access to healthcare services for all citizens. Responsibilities are divided among the Ministry of Health, the Danish Health Authority, Danish Regions, municipalities, and general practice.
The Ministry of Health provides the framework for the healthcare system by managing legislation and the organization of healthcare tasks.
The Danish Health Authority is responsible for specialty planning and acts as an advisory body for the Danish regions, municipalities, and general practice.
The Danish regions are responsible for managing and administering the Danish healthcare system. The regions are tasked with diagnosing and treating all somatic and psychiatric patients. Municipalities are responsible for prevention, care, rehabilitation, treatment of alcohol and drug addiction, home nursing, dental care, and social psychiatry. General practice is the primary entry point to the healthcare system for Danish citizens, where common illnesses are treated. General practice also serves as a gatekeeper to specialized treatment elsewhere in the healthcare system. The Ministry of Health, municipalities, and regions are elected bodies. Additionally, there are several patient associations, represented by Danish Patients, which work to bring the patients’ perspective into the governance of the Danish healthcare system.
The Danish healthcare system is centrally involved in the implementation of the EU-funded project ‘Joint Action on Integration of ERNs into National Healthcare Systems’ (JARDIN). The project aims to integrate European Reference Networks (ERNs) into national healthcare systems to ensure more effective and coordinated treatment of patients with rare and complex diseases. A key goal is to improve patient access to highly specialized treatment and expert evaluation across borders. This is achieved by creating greater transparency in patient pathways, making it clear where and how patients can receive help from the right specialists, as well as what can be expected in terms of treatment and follow-up.
The project also supports interoperability between national and European healthcare systems through improved data sharing, which is essential to ensure continuity of care for rare diseases. One of the concrete actions is the implementation of Orpha codes, which allow for a standardized description of rare diseases across borders. This facilitates the sharing of critical patient data and ensures more accurate diagnoses and treatments.
Therefore, JARDIN not only contributes to better treatment for patients with rare diseases but also to a more cohesive and sustainable integration of European healthcare services, enabling healthcare professionals to collaborate more effectively and share expertise across borders.