[Public healthcare expenditure and COVID-19 mortality in Spain and in Europe]

Objective To analyze the association between public health expenditure per capita and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 in Europe and Spain Material and methods Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to compare and contrast the mortality rate due to COVID-19 between countries and autonomous communities with higher and lower public health expenditure per capita than the mean Results No correlation between the public health expenditure per capita and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 (r: 0 3;p = 0 14) was found among European countries or Spain's Autonomous Communities (r: 0 03;p = 0 91) No significant differences were found when comparing the mortality rate due to COVID-19 among the public health expenditure per capita groups Conclusions The available evidence does not support association between «low» public healthcare expenditure and the poor outcomes observed in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic Increased funding for the Spanish National Health System should be earmarked for structural reforms to increase its social efficiency Resumen Objetivo Analizar la asociacion entre el gasto sanitario publico per capita y la tasa de mortalidad poblacional por COVID-19 en Europa y en Espana Material y metodos Se utilizo el coeficiente de correlacion de Pearson Asimismo, se contrastaron los promedios de TMP-COVID-19 entre paises y comunidades autonomas con mayor y menor GSPpc que el promedio Resultados No se hallo correlacion, en los paises europeos, entre el gasto sanitario publico per capita y la tasa de mortalidad poblacional por COVID-19 (r: 0,3;p = 0,14), ni en las comunidades autonomas (r: 0,03;p = 0,91) Tampoco se encontraron diferencias significativas en el contraste de la tasa de mortalidad poblacional por COVID-19 por grupos de gasto sanitario publico per capita Conclusiones La asociacion entre «bajo» gasto sanitario publico y malos resultados en Espana en la crisis de la COVID-19 no esta sustentada en la evidencia disponible Los aumentos de financiacion de la sanidad publica deberian destinarse a las reformas estructurales para aumentar su eficiencia social