Goals of the health care system and effectiveness of health care in Poland (Cele systemu ochrony zdrowia a efektywnosc w ochronie zdrowia w Polsce)

The term: effectiveness in healthcare is used by different representatives of the sector in relation to its different levels: from the treatment of a disease entity, by single organizational units to the health care system as a whole. The discussion on effectiveness in health care as a goal of the health care system is presented in this article. The phenomena which take place in health care and affect it as well as factors that can be perceived as effective have been presented. The discussion on health care system goals, ways to achieve them and effectiveness of achieving them has also been presented. Changes in the health care system in the recent years show that the most important goal of the system (improvement in the population's health) is being achieved. This happens in spite of activities undertaken by the state and state agencies (incentives for health care units) - forcing an increase of individual health care organizations' effectiveness - which contribute to the deterioration of the conditions, in which these organizations work and which cause problems for the system as a whole.