2022 IB Diploma Extended Essays

and therefore may not have sufficient evidence to conclude which health care system is better

during global emergencies. As demonstrated previously, the number of mammograms pre

pandemic was the highest in the UK, meaning that the NHS when not under the pressure of

insufficient resources, are able to provide higher quantities of mammogram screenings –

proving this model to be better during the absence of emergencies. Henceforth, the NHS is

more successful at managing mammogram screenings in the absence of a global health crisis

when compared to the Bismarck model, however this means the Bismarck model is more

successful in times when a global emergency is present.

Conclusion

Overall, the Bismarck model, which allows for a decentralised health care system, can

manage non-essential services such as mammogram screenings during the pandemic more

effectively than the NHS. This can be demonstrated by the minimisation of the decrease in

mammogram screenings by countries under the decentralised system as mentioned in figure

2. The number of SARS-CoV-2 cases during this pandemic was an overall higher percentage

of the total population within countries like Switzerland and Belgium. This is because the

state Government within Switzerland and Belgium can act autonomously, providing citizens

the ability to travel around their country for health care if needed. From both an economic

and physiological perspective, the management of breast cancer screenings during the

pandemic was managed more effectively using the Bismarck model. Ultimately, the

investigation has demonstrated that the healthcare system has a significant impact in the

allocation of healthcare resources when discussing the effectiveness in the management of

breast cancer screening during SARS-CoV-2.

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