The authority for care and care analysis maps the growing market for privately funded ADHD and autism care

On behalf of the government, the Agency for Care and Care Analysis has mapped the market for privately funded investigations and treatments for ADHD and autism.

In an interim report, which was submitted on Wednesday, they describe how the industry has expanded significantly in recent years. They see that the companies are turning over more and more money and that the actors have increased in number. Healthcare providers who only have private funding have increased their turnover by 300 percent in six years.

- We think that the size of the market sets the basic principle that care should be given according to need and not the individual's ability to pay. It is challenged in this market, that's how big we think this market is, says Sara Korlén Schalling, investigator at the Swedish Agency for Care and Care Analysis.

Problematic marketing

The authority also sees how many private care providers market, among other things, short waiting times and simplicity on social media. It may contravene the Medical Association's rules for the marketing of care.

- What we highlight in the report is that we see that patients who are vulnerable, in the sense that they are not feeling well and need help, that they can be influenced in their decision, which will not be good in the long term, says Sara Korlén Schalling.

The authority also sees more examples of marketing where it is not clear enough that it is advertising. They also see that the focus in marketing is very much about price campaigns and loan opportunities, which may also be against the rules of the Medical Association.

Does not report data

One difficulty with mapping the quality of private care is that many private care providers do not submit information to the National Board of Health and Welfare's patient register.

- We lack valuable data. We cannot study the quality in comparison with regional healthcare providers. Which is unfortunate, because the debate is characterized by pitting private care against public. There's a lot we can't answer about that.

In one year, the authority must submit the final report.

Hear more about this in the clip above.