Finding a balance between quality and expenditure control in healthcare is becoming an urgent priority among EU Member States, as highlighted by the European Semester Country Reports 2018. Moreover, the need to meet cost-effectiveness requirements and ensure the sustainability of the health system is one of the most recurring reference in the Country Specific Recommendations for healthcare.
To achieve this objective, it is therefore crucial to strengthen disease prevention measures in public health. It is time to revert the very negative European trend that sees that less than 3% of national health budgets are spent on prevention, while 80% is spent on treating chronic diseases.
More efforts are needed to promote and finance prevention and primary care, in which nurses can greatly contribute thanks to their coaching roles to empower individuals and families, as well as in promoting health literacy and changes in health behaviour throughout the life-course of people.