Public Opinion on the Level of Service and Performance of the Healthcare System in 2014 and Comparison with 2012

Since the National Health Insurance Law came into effect in 1995, MJB has conducted a series of biennial surveys to monitor public opinion about the level of services and the performance of the health system. The project was launched at the request of the Ministry of Health and is accompanied by a steering committee that includes representatives from all of the health plans, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and the National Insurance Institute, as well as from academia and consumer organizations.

The surveys are conducted among a representative sample of the adult population in Israel (age 22+). This report presents the main findings from the latest survey, which was conducted from August to December 2014. In the survey, 1,540 respondents were interviewed in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian or English. The response rate was 68% of the sample.

The report presents the national findings and includes comparisons among the different health plans and population groups.

The report presents the findings on the following topics:

  • Satisfaction with the service provided by the health plans
  • Accessibility and availability of services
  • The respondents’ experience of their encounter with the professional staff in the community and in hospitals
  • Confidence in the system and general satisfaction with it
  • Utilization of services outside of the public system and private insurances (supplemental and commercial)
  • Extent of equality among populations by key indicators.

A number of additional reports will address topics examined in the survey that were not included in this report.

The study provides current information that helps health plan managers and policymakers to monitor indicators of the functioning of the health system. It sheds light on positive trends as well as on areas in need of improvement, thereby helping to place these topics on the public agenda and promote the planning of appropriate interventions. The study also gives voice to service consumers, allowing their opinions to be considered when policy is being developed. The findings have been presented to policymakers at the Ministry of Health and the health plans, and we hope that they will contribute to initiatives currently being undertaken to strengthen the public health system in Israel and reduce inequalities.

Citations in the professional and academic literature

Rosen, B., Waitzberg, R., & Merkur, S. (2015). Israel: Health system review.

Kaplan, G., Shahar, Y., & Tal, O. (2017). Supplementary Health Insurance from the consumer point of view: Are Israelis consumers doing an informed rational choice when purchasing Supplementary Health Insurance?. Health Policy121(6), 708-714.

Rosen, B., Waitzberg, R., & Merkur, S. (2015). Health systems in transition. Health17(6).

Altman, S. (2016). Should Israel be concerned by the high proportion of medical care paid for privately: comments from a US perspective. Israel journal of health policy research5(1), 11.

Blümel, M., & Busse, R. (2015). The German health care system, 2015. International profiles of health care systems, 69-76.

Karnieli-Miller, O., Miron-Shatz, T., Siegal, G., & Zisman-Ilani, Y. (2017). On the verge of shared decision making in Israel: Overview and future directions. Zeitschrift für Evidenz, Fortbildung und Qualität im Gesundheitswesen123, 56-60.

Karnieli-Miller, O., Miron-Shatz, T., Siegal, G., & Zisman-Ilani, Y. Z. Evid. Fortbild. Qual. Gesundh. wesen (ZEFQ).

Citing suggestion: Brammli-Greenberg, S., & Medina-Artom, T. (2015). Public Opinion on the Level of Service and Performance of the Healthcare System in 2014 and Comparison with 2012. RR-705-15. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute. (Hebrew)