Luxembourg strengthens its healthcare system: ObSanté publishes ambitious report for 2024

Luxembourg's National Health Observatory (ObSanté) presented its detailed annual report on the transformation and evaluation of the country's health system in March 2025. Over the past year, decisive steps have been taken to improve the transparency, efficiency and scientific basis on which public health policy is shaped.

One of the main achievements of 2024 was the development of a methodology to quantify health professionals. ObSanté, together with the Social Security Inspectorate, has introduced a classification that divides all professionals into three categories: those who are authorised to work, those who actually practise, and those involved in indirect areas (administration, research, etc.).

For the first time, the Belgian model for assessing the employment of liberal doctors was adapted to the Luxembourg context. The data on reimbursement by insurance funds were used as the basis, which made it possible to objectively measure the contribution of these specialists to the health care system. In parallel, harmonisation with the WHO classification was carried out, paving the way for international comparison.

Together with the OECD and with the support of the European Commission, ObSanté has launched the Health System Performance Assessment (HSPA) project, aimed at creating a national reference of indicators and methodologies to measure the quality of the healthcare system. It involves both public authorities and professional and patient associations. It is expected that this work will be completed and the first report will be published in 2025.

ObSanté has updated its IT architecture and launched an online scoreboard with 26 key indicators, including data on hospitalisations for cardiovascular reasons. Each indicator has a separate page with visualisations, explanations, comparison with other EU countries and downloadable data.

The hospital infrastructure maps for 2023 have been updated with a new block: data on delays in diagnostic tests (MRI, CT, mammography). The study, carried out jointly with LIH and the Federation of Hospitals, sheds light on bottlenecks in the access system.

ObSanté has strengthened its links with the European Health Observatory and joined the Horizon Europe programme. In 2025, two PhD research projects on health system evaluation with a focus on sustainability and patient-centredness will start. This means Luxembourg is recognised as a country actively involved in the development of advanced healthcare models in Europe.