International PaRIS Conference: Results of Cycle I and Directions for Cycle II
The National Authority for Quality Management in Health (ANMCS) organized the International PaRIS Conference entitled “Results of Cycle I and Directions for Cycle II”, an event focused on evaluating the performance of health systems from the patients’ perspective.
The conference brought together high-level experts from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Commission, and the World Bank, alongside representatives of public institutions, healthcare professionals, and patient organizations.
The main objective of the event was to present and analyze Romania’s results from Cycle I of the PaRIS project (Patient-Reported Indicators Survey), a strategic OECD initiative designed to measure, in an internationally comparable manner, patient-reported outcomes (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures – PROMs) and patient-reported experiences (Patient-Reported Experience Measures – PREMs), with a particular focus on care provided to people with chronic conditions in primary health care.
Implementation of the PaRIS Project in Romania
Romania actively participated in the PaRIS project both during the pilot testing phase (Field Trial) and the main survey phase, with ANMCS acting as National Project Manager. Project implementation followed the standard OECD methodology, adapted to the national context, and was based on close cooperation between public institutions, healthcare professionals, and representative patient organizations.
The methodology relied on a two-stage approach, consisting of the selection and recruitment of general practitioner practices, followed by the selection of eligible patients using probabilistic sampling procedures. Two questionnaires—one addressed to general practitioners and one to patients—were developed by the OECD, tested during the pilot phase, and subsequently translated and adapted for Romania. Data were collected in both digital and paper formats, in full compliance with personal data protection requirements (GDPR).
Cycle I Results: Key Findings
The results presented at the conference are based on data collected from 1,277 patients and 128 general practitioner practices and are considered statistically significant and relevant.
According to the findings, only 43% of Romanians aged over 45 living with chronic conditions report good overall health, a figure significantly below the OECD average. At the same time, Romania records good performance in areas such as care coordination and patient-centered care, ranking among the OECD countries with favorable results in these domains.
The PaRIS data also reveal several structural challenges, including low levels of digital health literacy, insufficient consultation time for patients with multiple chronic conditions, and persistent socioeconomic and regional disparities. For instance, only 15% of patients with multimorbidity benefit from consultations lasting longer than 15 minutes, compared to an OECD average of 47%. These disparities are more pronounced in rural areas and among vulnerable population groups.
Directions for PaRIS Cycle II
A dedicated segment of the conference addressed the strategic directions for the implementation of PaRIS Cycle II. Identified priorities include the creation of a national patient database, diversification of data collection channels, strengthened cooperation between public health institutions, clarification of the application of the GDPR framework in health research, and increased involvement of primary health care professionals and patients.
Participants also emphasized the importance of using PaRIS results in public policy development by integrating patient-reported indicators into national mechanisms for monitoring, evaluation, and financing of health services. The need for broad dissemination of results to key stakeholders and for their use as a policy-support tool aimed at improving the quality of care was highlighted.
Romania’s participation in the PaRIS project represents an important step in the modernization and reform of the national health system, providing a solid base of internationally comparable data. The project has enhanced Romania’s visibility and role within the OECD’s health-related activities and contributes to a better understanding of patients’ real needs, supporting the development of primary health care models that are more efficient, more equitable, and more patient-centered.
