ABSTRACT

Aim:

The sector of medical device, has an important place in the diagnosis and treatment of the illnesses. Medical devices have been used in the prevention, diagnosis, follow-up or treatment of illnesses. The aim of this study is the comparison of the quantity of medical devices according to the Classification of the Regional Units (İstatistiki Bölge Birimleri Sınıflandırması [İBBS]) in Turkey and their usage proportions and also the comparison of Turkey with other OECD countries from the point of the quantity medical devices and finally, the factors that affect the quantity medical devices.

Material and Method:

The quantity of medical devices according to the Classification of the Regional Units, “Health Statistical Yearbook 2013”; the quantity of medical devices in OECD countries according to the OECD Health Data 2013; health indicators such as health expenditures per capita, life expectancy at birth, the proportion of the total health expenditures to the public expenditures were obtained from the data of the World Bank.

Findings:

During the assessment of the medical devices in Turkey, the medical device with the highest quantity is 'ultrasound device’ and the least one is MR device is seen. On the basis of the sector, the highest quantities of medical devices are in the hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health and the least ones are in the university hospitals. During the assessment of the usage of the medical devices, the highest usage proportion is in university hospitals as institutions, and in MR device is seen. According to the Classification of the Regional Units the least quantities of the medical devices were in the Southeast and Northeast Regions of Turkey. When it is compared with the other OECD countries, the quantities of the medical devices are less than ones in many OECD countries.

Result:

The quantity medical devices and their usage for countries were affected by several factors such as health systems of the countries, the pattern of the illnesses, GDP per capita, health expenditures per capita, life expectancy at birth, applied health policy, chosen drawback systems, the proportion of elderly population, and the proportion of the total health expenditures to the public expenditures. Therefore the assessment of the quantity medical devices and their usages, should take into account the countries’ economic, social and health indicators and cultural features.