Category: Stay healthy

The health condition of Polish women and men is in a dire state, as revealed by data presented during the 10th Public Health Congress in 2023. “Before noon, 1.2 million ‘monkeys’ will be sold in stores. Some say it’s the most popular domestic pet in Poland,” stated Prof. Artur Mamcarz, a cardiologist. Experts have proposed urgent changes in response to the concerning findings.

From the data presented by experts, an image emerges of an increasingly unhealthy Polish population with shorter life expectancies. We are drinking more than during the PRL era, many are still addicted to smoking, obesity rates are rising, and we are breathing air that is one of the most polluted in Europe.

Poles Drink, Smoke, Gain Weight, and Die Faster

According to OECD data published in 2023, life expectancy in Poland is 75.5 years, 5.2 years shorter than the OECD countries’ average. Roughly every 10th Pole assesses their health as poor or very poor. Furthermore, preventable mortality through public health interventions is 44% higher than the OECD average – with 227 avoidable deaths per 100,000 residents in Poland, compared to the OECD average of 158/100,000.

Between 2019-2021, the life expectancy of Polish men decreased by 2.3 years (from 74.1 to 71.8), and for women, it decreased by 2.1 years (from 81.8 to 79.7). This trend began even before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, as indicated by Małecka-Libera.

In 2022, 305,000 children were born, while 448,000 deaths were recorded (a decrease of 143,000 Poles).

From the data presented, it is evident that 56.7% of Poles are overweight or obese, 8 million smoke cigarettes, over 2 million significantly abuse alcohol, and only 40% of Poles undergo regular health check-ups.

According to UNICEF, 630,000 children in Poland require specialized psychological and psychiatric assistance.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, a dramatic increase in excess deaths was recorded. In 2022, among 38 OECD countries, Poland ranked first in this regard (per capita).

Dr. Jerzy Gryglewicz from the Institute of Health Management at Lazarski University pointed out that behavioral factors related to lifestyle account for the loss of approximately 49% of healthy life years and around 44% of deaths. He added that the greatest contributors to the loss of healthy life years are tobacco smoking, high blood pressure, and a high BMI.

“It is still morning. 1.2 million so-called ‘monkeys’ will be sold in stores. By noon, half of these people will consume one or two ‘monkeys.’ Alcohol is readily available in Poland. Solutions must be found,” appealed Prof. Leszek Czupryniak, Head of the Department of Diabetology and Internal Medicine at the Medical University of Warsaw.

Experts emphasized during the Congress that Poland has one of the highest levels of air pollution. The European Environment Agency estimates that 53,000 deaths are attributed to air pollution in Poland each year.

“We are a country that derives 60% of its energy from coal burning, and 3,800,000 single-family buildings use traditional heating methods,” said Prof. Bolesław Samoliński, Head of the Department of Public and Environmental Health at the Medical University of Warsaw.

8 Public Health Priorities – Experts on Necessary Changes

In the first two discussion panels of the 10th Public Health Congress, a total of 8 priorities for the coming years were highlighted. These priorities were identified by experts participating in the Thursday discussions.

The most crucial aspect should be the population-wide control of risk factors, a task for everyone. A pressing task today is the rationalization of healthcare spending, as there are cost-effective and non-cost-effective procedures, pointed out Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong, Rector of the Medical University of Warsaw.

The key element in the upcoming period should be the development of a national strategy that encompasses all stages of life, focusing on prevention, promotion, and consequently, secondary and tertiary prevention. It would also break down silos in policy – integrating all actions of ministries that can impact citizens’ health and safety, said Prof. Bolesław Samoliński.

Wise health education as a long-term investment, treated not as a cost, is essential. People need to be addressed through the lens of health gains, stated Dr. Marek Rutka, a member of the Left Party.

“We must deal with excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. It is a significant problem in Poland; it is unbelievable that we have higher alcohol consumption than during the PRL era,” emphasized Dr. Tomasz Latos, former Chairman of the Health Committee of the Sejm.

“I would like all public health graduates to have jobs. Public health needs to be institutionalized. The most important institution should be the National Institute of Public Health PZH – State Research Institute – with access to local sanitary-epidemiological stations,” advised Prof. Jarosław Pinkas, National Consultant for Public Health.

“We are a different country than the Scandinavian countries. Here, the authority of politicians, rulers, is as low as possible, so the ability to introduce standards in this way is limited. We need to apply different solutions; a good example is the sugar tax, but it should be much higher. We need to find medicines and medical interventions to cure people of addiction to alcohol and cigarettes. Now the state behaves like a pimp – it sells cigarettes or alcohol and then treats diseases,” said Prof. Leszek Czupryniak.

In public health, we cannot manage without journalists who are aware of problems and will speak and write about them, as well as without politicians. The solutions they propose, after consultations, provide a chance to avoid problems, noted Prof. Artur Mamcarz.

“My priority is to build a nationwide prevention program for children – everything starts with them, with their knowledge, awareness, and choices,” stated Beata Małecka-Libera.

After 10 years of debate, it is time to take action. We no longer have time for discussions; we know exactly what needs to be done. If there is no leader, a person who understands public health, who will bring together all ministries, consolidate the community, we will spend another 10 years just discussing. We need to amend the Public Health Act and “hardcode” the measures that must appear there, change the organization and supervision – to eliminate the silos of ministries. We cannot afford for the Minister of Finance to provide some “scraps” for a national program or preventive actions. Funds must also come from excise duties and taxes – on tobacco and sugar,” concluded the senator.

Although the National Health Fund (NFZ) provides free medical care, queues to specialists can discourage many patients. In the case of specific diseases, time is important, which is why more and more people decide to seek private treatment. It turns out that Poles spend a lot of money and the amounts are bigger and bigger every year.

Healthcare expenses have been constantly increasing in recent years. Already in December 2022, the government announced that the budget for the current year would be increased from PLN 77 billion to PLN 165 billion. Unfortunately, despite this, Poles decide to use private medical care. Data of Statistics Poland (GUS) shows a significant increase in expenses incurred.

The GUS data published at the end of July shows that we incur more and more medical costs every year. This applies to both the public and private sectors.

In 2020, treatment costs were as follows:

• total public expenses – PLN 109,752.7 million,
• private expenses – PLN 42,120.8 million.

In 2021, the situation was the following:

• expenses from public funds – PLN 122,767.2 million,
• expenses in the private sector – PLN 46,651.3 million.

However, in 2022, the GUS data showed another increase:

• expenses from public funds – PLN 153,955.9 million,
• expenses in the private sector – PLN 51,603.2 million.

Current expenses on healthcare and their share in GDP

ᵅ Source: GDP data available at: https://stat.gov.pl/wskazniki-makroekonomiczne/ – updated on 20th June 2023

Author: Photo: Statistics Poland (GUS)

The analysis shows that PLN 5 billion more have disappeared from private wallets than before. For the first time, a staggering amount exceeding PLN 50 billion was spent from the household budget on improving health.

According to GUS, such data is caused by a general increase in household expenses which, compared to 2021, were higher by PLN 3.3 billion, i.e. almost 10%. It is worth emphasising, however, that in the case of the 2022 data, these are estimated values and we still have to wait for the final summary. This results from the methodology of the National Health Accounts.

How much do we pay for filling prescriptions? A staggering sum in 2022

Separate GUS data shows that Poles spend more and more also on medicines. When analysing the information collected and shared by the Ministry of Health, a significant relationship can be noticed. In 2022, a statistical Pole spent PLN 352 on purchasing medicines from their own funds. The refund at that time was PLN 227. The total value was PLN 579.00, which is PLN 61.00 more than in 2021.

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Author: Photo: Statistics Poland (GUS)

Sales value of prescription medicines per voivodeship resident in 2022.

It also turns out that the situation is quite divergent in the context of individual voivodeships. Residents of the łódzkie voivodeship spent the  most of their household budget on medicines – as much as
PLN 393.00 per person. However, Poles from the podkarpackie voivodeship spent the least –
PLN 301.00.

The Ministry of Health also highlights the type of diseases most often faced by Poles. Cardiovascular diseases come first and we spend more and more money on their treatment. Problems in the digestive system and metabolism come second and the third place is taken by diseases of the central nervous system.

Almost half of Poles claim that high inflation is the reason why they lose their mental health. There are more such people than those who do not experience this type of problems. And a year ago, the situation was completely opposite. Currently, it is mainly seniors who talk about unfavourable changes, but it is also worth paying attention to Generation Z. When commenting on the survey results, experts estimate that due to the above-mentioned situation, the economy loses up to several billion PLN per year. They also add that the problem has been growing for a long time, but the worst thing is that it will not be easy to get rid of it. Additionally, they point out that the situation may continue to deteriorate even though, inflation has started to drop significantly. Experts also predict that the crisis will not disappear soon and we, as a society, will have to bear the consequences.

Alarming results again

Currently, nearly 49% of Poles experience deterioration of their mental health, mental condition,
well-being or mental functioning due to high inflation. This is how society reacts to increases in prices in shops and a decline in the income value. In turn, less than 42% of people do not feel this way and just over 9% have no opinion on the issue. This is according to the periodic report entitled: “Mental health of Poles in times of high inflation”, developed on the basis of a survey conducted by UCE RESEARCH and the ePsycholodzy.pl platform in the first half of June this year on a representative sample of over a thousand adult Poles.

“In short, it can be said that nearly 15 million Poles may experience deterioration of their mental health, mental condition, well-being or mental functioning due to high inflation. The most common symptom is stress, which – according to our calculations – is complained about by around 7.5 million Poles. The results are obviously alarming. Inflation has left a lasting mark on Poles”, comments Michał Pajdak from ePsycholodzy.pl.

Compared to July last year, significant changes are also visible. At that time, less than 44% of respondents experienced the above-mentioned deterioration (now – almost 49%), over 44% had the opposite opinion (currently – less than 42%) and just over 12% had no opinion on this matter (currently – over 9%). According to economist Marek Zuber, last year’s survey shows a situation in which inflation was very high but its peak occurred at the beginning of 2023. Therefore, the feelings associated with it are stronger and even more visible. Moreover, people experience effects of inflation longer and longer, i.e. they feel it more severely. As the expert emphasises, the cumulative price increase for the last two years has been well over 25% and in some commodity groups, such as food, even much more. In addition, real salaries are falling.

“In 2022, more people could still believe that high inflation would be short-lived. At the beginning, people thought that they could cope with it and the situation would last e.g. 2-3 months. The government and the central bank announced that this phenomenon would pass soon. However, more and more Poles are beginning to seriously feel price increases as a threat to their lifestyle. A year ago, many of us experienced deterioration of mental health. Now, there are also those who previously believed that high inflation would last for a short time or that they would be able to cope with it easily”, analyses Professor Witold Orłowski, chief economic advisor of PwC in Poland.

Most vulnerable groups

The above-mentioned problems are experienced more often by women than men. Looking at the age groups, it is clear that mainly people aged 75-80 report deteriorating mental health. Next are respondents aged 18-24 and 35-44. In turn, taking into account the declared monthly net income of respondents, it can be concluded that unfavourable changes are reported mainly by people earning PLN 5,000-6,999. Next are people earning PLN 3,000-4,999 and PLN 1,000-2,999. The list is closed by respondents who do not mention the amount of their income or earn less than PLN 1,000.

“Respondents with income of PLN 5,000-6,999 are the so-called typical middle class. People who have been able to benefit more and more from the effects of their work in recent years. In the current situation, they are forced to save, which is something they have not experienced for years. However, the problem is not only the increase in inflation but also the related decrease in real incomes. In the case of significantly higher salaries, inflation does not limit purchasing possibilities and with the lowest salaries, the situation has already been very difficult”, says Marek Zuber.

Mental health problems are noticed primarily by people with secondary education. Next are Poles with higher, primary, lower secondary or basic vocational education. In turn, looking at the size of the place of residence, it is clear that this phenomenon is mainly mentioned by respondents from cities with
a population of 50,000 up to 99,000 inhabitants. Then there are Poles from cities with at least 500,000 inhabitants. And at the end of the list, there are people from cities with 200,000 up to 499,000 inhabitants, as well as from villages and towns with a population of up to 5,000 inhabitants.

“I think that people with secondary education and from small towns are also part of society that considers themselves the so-called middle class. They have certain life aspirations that they do not want to give up. Of course, they will not run out of money for food and will not die of hunger. However, there is a threat to a certain model of life, sometimes identified with life success. Now, for example, they have to change a two-week holiday in Turkey for a week’s holiday in the country, because they do not have enough money for other expenses. This can be a heavy mental burden for such people”, emphasises Professor Orłowski.

A multi-billion hit to the economy

Questions also arise about how much our economy loses due to the poorer mental health of Poles. According to Professor Orłowski, this phenomenon is very difficult to be assessed precisely. In general, bad moods have a detrimental effect on the economy. For example, people who are afraid of inflation try to limit their purchases. This translates into the economic situation, so the effect is certainly negative for the market. The expert notes that this is the first such a clear and long-lasting increase in inflation that we have recorded in the recent history of Poland. Although, the inflation rate was high in the 1990s, it gradually decreased. Now, there is a completely new situation for people who have become unaccustomed to this phenomenon for the last 20 years. However, it is still too early to estimate such final costs. Nevertheless, the authors of the report partially undertook this task.

“Taking into account only the absence from work of insured people due to mental and behavioural disorders, the cost to the economy can be estimated at between PLN 7.4 and 9.2 billion annually. This concerns 23.8 million days of sickness absence last year. It is also necessary to take into account the costs of replacing absent employees, i.e. their recruitment, training, etc. In addition, there are costs resulting from delayed or not properly performed work, lost customers as well as burdens resulting from the healthcare infrastructure and private medical care of employees. However, the
above-mentioned amount is just one of several directly calculable components. The remaining amounts may be several times this value and amount to even several dozen billion PLN per year”, says Michał Pajdak.

As Marek Zuber points out, lower willingness to work and lower efficiency but also more limited consumption are possible effects of this situation. However, according to the expert, the impact on the economy should not be serious. These are not processes that will significantly reduce economic growth but they will be a visible element in it. In turn, Professor Orłowski emphasises that people usually feel inflation more strongly than statistical measurement indicates. The expert draws attention to the forecasts of the President of the National Bank of Poland. They show that the inflation rate will drop to 2-3%. However, the chief economic advisor of PwC in Poland believes that inflation will amount to
9-10% in the autumn. But this does not necessarily mean any improvement in people’s feelings about it.

Is the worst yet to come?

“Inflation has created a significant financial hole among Poles, which will be felt even in the future. We are talking here, for example, about people who are in arrears with payments for an apartment or
a house. The arrears will increase because there are also ongoing fees. Personally, I predict that if double-digit inflation stays with us until the end of the year and then we repeat the survey, the results will deteriorate again. In December this year, even up to approx. 60-70% of respondents may claim that they experience deterioration of their mental health. Moreover, the slowing inflation itself does not guarantee that the issue will disappear, because the problem has been accumulating for a long time”, argues Michał Pajdak.

As experts from ePsycholodzy.pl explain, Poles usually feel that inflation is much higher than officially reported by Statistics Poland (GUS). And this type of thinking makes their condition even worse. This is a direct path to various types of disorders and diseases, including those most dangerous to life and health, as well as further losses for the economy. “The so-called decreasing inflation, often communicated by politicians, does not mean a decline in the prices of goods and services but only
a slower growth rate. But I suspect that many consumers do not understand it this way, which later manifests itself in shock or even frustration at the shop checkout or shelf”, says Pajdak.

Moreover, Poles have been experiencing inflation first-hand for a long time, not only understood as an increase in prices but also its direct effects, e.g. layoffs, work restrictions or lack of prospects. This affects the deterioration of mental health. “What deserves special attention is the so-called Generation Z. The group of these young Poles reports e.g. the highest burnout rates. People entering the labour market with such problems are often ineffective. And if they do not undergo therapy, this condition will last for years. This is an extremely dangerous trend for employers”, warns the expert.

However, according to experts, all this should not surprise anyone. “The last period is actually the epicentre of rampant inflation and emotions are gathering in Poles. The worst thing is that this
build-up will not be easy to get rid of. The problem has spread and we will have to bear the consequences. And falling inflation does not necessarily have to improve the mental condition of Poles”, summarises Michał Pajdak from ePsycholodzy.pl.

Accident insurance for a child may not be enough. Especially if it is bought at school at the turn of August and September. And rightly so. A supplement worth considering is a private health insurance policy. More and more parents, out of concern for the safety of their children, are choosing private health insurance for children. The premium allows them to protect the youngest ones from the moment of their birth.

The school accident insurance policy is most often a guarantee of payment of benefits for an accident such as a broken arm, contusion or other physical injury. In case of illness, parents must rely on the National Health Fund (NFZ). However, using the public health service can be very time-consuming in terms of access to specialist doctors, examinations, vaccinations and home visits. Health insurance is a very useful and valued product. Both adults and children will benefit from it. And the advantages of having insurance can be multiplied, so it is worth providing such a benefit to yourself and your family. Small patients, who are susceptible to various diseases and injuries from a young age and need medical care, will particularly benefit from health insurance.

When will a child need health insurance?

Undoubtedly, private insurance for children in Poland is gaining popularity year by year. Although free medical care is available in our country, access to many specialists usually requires waiting for months, which unfortunately affects especially the youngest patients. By choosing a private policy for a child, we can make an appointment with a doctor of a given specialisation within a few days, not months – without a referral, stress and queues. During the preschool and school years, children’s immune system is still developing. Hence the high morbidity, frequent viral infections and infectious diseases. Therefore, diseases such as smallpox, mumps, tonsillitis, bronchitis and angina should be expected. Children also develop more serious or chronic conditions – such as asthma or allergies.

Health insurance for a child provides extensive protection – we can count on a very efficient treatment process for a child after an accident resulting in bodily injury. Importantly, the policy is valid throughout the year. Private health insurance for a child is a quick help for the youngest ones and an excellent alternative to long queues for NFZ benefits. Paying only a few dozen zlotys a month, we can provide children with the protection they deserve (the cheapest health insurance packages cost less than
PLN 50). An advantage of a private policy is also the high quality of medical services – the facilities are usually well-equipped and modernly furnished, which translates into greater comfort for small patients.

How Poles take care of health? What is the awareness of the society about physical condition and preventive medical check-ups? Does inflation and its impact on the finances of Poles also affect their health? This is what the e-recepta.net analytical team has prepared in the report below. A survey was conducted among residents of the 10 largest cities – the results could be better. Unfortunately, the awareness of Polish society in the subject of health is still low compared to Europe.

Most residents of Polish cities take care of preventive medical check-ups, but there is still a strong group that does not care enough about prophylaxis. In addition, not every patient pays attention to what the doctor says. When purchasing medicines, we follow the recommendations of specialists, but the percentage of people vaccinated is relatively small. New solutions facilitating medical consultations or the purchase of medicines are gaining in popularity – we are talking here about teleconsultations and e-prescriptions.

In the survey of the e-recepta.net analytical team, the following were verified, e.g.: the frequency of using prescription medicines, most common ailments, frequency of infections, expenditure on medicines and number of people who were forced to reduce their expenditure on necessary medicines due to inflation, how often Poles undergo preventive medical check-ups and what group of society underwent preventive vaccinations. The collected data made it possible to create a comprehensive report and several rankings showing the differences in taking care of health depending on the city of residence.

As we read in the most important conclusions of the report published on the e-recepta.net website:

80.3% of Poles have taken prescription medicines in the last six months;

residents of Wrocław used prescription medicines most often, people from Warsaw – least often;

Poles most often complain about headaches and general weakness;

most respondents experience more serious illness and infections once every few years. Residents of Szczecin struggle with infections most often, residents of Warsaw – least often;

49% of respondents spend more than PLN 100 per month on medicines. People from Szczecin spend more than PLN 300 on medicines most often, people from Katowice – least often;

31.6% of Poles declare that inflation forced them to save when buying necessary medicines. Inflation was most felt by residents of Bydgoszcz, Katowice and Lublin;

teleconsultations are very popular – 51.3% of Poles consulted a doctor by phone in the last twelve months;

35.5% of residents of Polish cities do not regularly perform preventive medical check-ups;

23.8% of respondents declare that they have never been vaccinated – neither against flue nor other diseases. Vaccinations are the most popular in Poznań, the least popular in Katowice;

the majority of respondents (about 60%) assess their health state as average;

from among civilisation diseases, Poles are most afraid of cancer;

40.4% of respondents began to take better care of their health after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Very popular prescription medicines

The data collected in the e-recepta.net survey shows that as many as 80.3% of residents of Polish cities declare that they have taken prescription medicines in the last six months. It concerned more often women (81.9%) than men (73.9%). The percentage of people who need prescriptions increases with age. It is the lowest in the 19-29 age group (70.8%) and the highest in the 60+ age group (86.1%).

Residents of Wrocław (86.4%), Poznań (83.8%) and Bydgoszcz (83.5%) used prescription medicines most often. People from Gdańsk (78.5%), Szczecin (77.9%) and Warsaw (75%) bought medicines of this type least often. The average in most cities oscillates around 80%. The difference between Wrocław (the first in the ranking) and Warsaw (the last in the ranking) is clearly outlined – it amounts to 11.4 percentage points.

Most common ailments of Poles

Poles most often complain about headache (38.9%), weakness (31.2%), sore throat (29.2%), abdominal pain (20.8%) and fever (16.3%). Almost half of respondents declare that they have also struggled with other health problems in the last six months, e.g. very frequent high blood pressure or allergic rhinitis.

According to the report, 35.2% of Poles get sick more seriously once every few years and 14.6% declare that they are never sick. Still, almost a third of respondents experience more serious infections on average once a year (30.6%) and nearly a quarter have similar problems even several times a year (19.6%). Just over half of respondents need stronger medicines for a serious infection at least once
a year.

How much Poles spend on medicines?

Almost half of Poles (49%) spend on average over PLN 100 a month on medicines. In this group, 38.1% of respondents spend PLN 100-299 on medicines, 7.5% spend PLN 300-499, 2.4% – PLN 500-800, and 1% – more than PLN 800.

“Such a large number of respondents who regularly leave at least PLN 100 in pharmacies is consistent with the survey showing that a large proportion of Poles are chronically ill – which requires regular spending on medicines” – we read in the published results.

Medicines, especially those not reimbursed, fetch high prices in Poland. They are a burden on the budget, especially for people of retirement age, who also most often need medicines for diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. High inflation (14.7% in April 2023 – according to the indicators of Statistics Poland (GUS)) has a negative impact on the wallets of Poles who are looking for savings. 31.6% of respondents answered that due to inflation, they had to start saving on necessary medicines – residents of Bydgoszcz (39.2%), Katowice (38.9%) and Lubin (36.4%) were forced most often to make such savings. Respondents from Kraków (28.6%), Szczecin (27.9%), Gdańsk (24.7%) and Warsaw (22.1%) were the least likely to reduce their expenditure on medicines.

Almost a third of respondents could not afford to buy necessary medicines – this shows how much inflation impacts the financial situation of Poles and also affects their health. This applies in particular to the elderly.

Who does preventive medical check-ups?

Poles are not willing to undergo preventive medical check-ups – according to various reports, the percentage of people who do not conduct any examinations has fluctuated in recent years from
40% up to 60%. Moreover, a significant proportion of Poles do not know that many tests (especially in appropriate age groups or in people with risk factors) are free of charge.

Most respondents of the e-recepta.net survey declare that they do regular check-ups (64.5%). However, still more than a third of respondents do not use this type of tests (35.5%). In this case, there is not much correlation with age. Women (65.1%) are slightly more willing to get tested than men (62.3%).

Most people undergo preventive medical check-ups in Gdańsk (73.1%), Warsaw (72.8%) and Lublin (70.9%). Least often in Katowice (58.8%) and Łódź (56.4%).

Poles are still distrustful of vaccinations

Only 76.2% of respondents declare that they have been vaccinated against flue or any other disease at least once. It looks bad compared to Europe – especially since the question concerned diseases in general, i.e. flu, COVID or mandatory vaccinations before travelling to some parts of the world. As for the EU countries – 75% of people were vaccinated against COVID-19 (it is about 60% in Poland). In terms of flue vaccination, Poland remains at the very edge of Europe – only about 7% of people are vaccinated against it.

Most vaccinations are carried out in Poznań (82%), Kraków (81.3%) and Warsaw (80.9%). The least in Gdańsk (73.1%), Wrocław (69.7%) and Katowice (68.3%). The difference between the first and last place in the ranking is as much as 13.8 percentage points.

Patients like teleconsultations

Teleconsultations turned out to be a convenient solution for basic consultations and are very popular. In the last year, 51.3% of respondents have used teleconsultations, which shows that telephone contact with a doctor is treated by many people as the fastest and most convenient form of consultation.

Teleconsultations are the most popular in Łódź (59.5%), Lublin (58.2%) and Kraków (56%). Katowice and Szczecin (47.1%), Bydgoszcz (45.6%) and Wrocław (43.9%) were below the average.

This form of consultation with a doctor is more likely to be used by women than men. The percentage of people who choose this form of consultation is higher in the younger age groups – the older the patients, the less often they choose this form of consultation.