Abstract
Objectives: This review aims to investigate the effect of economic recession on healthcare system in Greece and public health of Greek society in general, and to underline the necessity to take increased measures for vulnerable groups of the society.
Material and Methods: Relevant studies were searched in PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Chronological limit was set to studies published before 2009. Studies in English or Greek language were selected. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were set. Quality assessment of included studies was performed by using elements such as reporting bias, selection bias, adequate statistical analysis and funding bias. An overall score was calculated. No bias detected among the studies included.
Results: The research strategy investigates 17 studies relevant to research question. From these, 4 were retrospective studies, 3 Interrupted Time Series (ITS), 3 were Data Enveloped Analysis (DEA), 1 Bootstrapping, 4 cross sectional studies, 1 Time Series Analysis and 1 ecological study. Outcomes studied were suicide rates, mental health, mortality, access to healthcare services, vaccination and Greek public Hospitals efficiency and productivity.
Conclusion: The study showed that economic crisis from its beginning has affected multiple aspects of health and healthcare system in Greece at various levels. It is important to remain vigilant and take increased measures in order to protect the citizens and especially the vulnerable groups of the society.
