Development of Home Mechanical Ventilation in Poland in 2009–2019 Based on the Data of the National Health Fund

Home mechanical ventilation (HMV) is a dynamically developing field of medicine driven by the increasing number of patients and technological advancements. In Poland, HMV has been financed from public funds since 2004. However, the organization of HMV is still evolving in search of the optimal model of care. The aim of this study was to analyze 11 years of HMV in terms of the number of patients, modes of ventilation, diagnosis and regional prevalence. In retrospective analysis of data reported to the National Health Fund by all health entities providing HMV in Poland in the period from 2009 to 2019, the following variables were included: age, sex, date of commencement, ventilation mode, diagnosis, and place of treatment. The diseases were identified according to the ICD-10 codes. A total of 12,616 patients receiving HMV were reported, including 1221 children (9.7%). The HMV prevalence increased from 2.8 in 2009 to 20/100,000 in 2019. In adults, the highest increase was reported for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who accounted for 39% of all HMV users in 2019. The proportion of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) increased from 56% in 2014 to 73% in 2019. We identified significant regional variations in the prevalence of HMV between provinces. The main drivers for HMV development include full reimbursement, the development of hospital NIV centers and the involvement of respiratory physicians in the referral process for HMV.