by InTrieste
Health officials in Friuli Venezia Giulia say recent data suggests the regional health system is beginning to counter a long-standing trend of patients seeking medical treatment elsewhere.
Speaking before a regional council committee on Tuesday, Riccardo Riccardi, the region’s councilor for health, said investments aimed at expanding services locally have significantly increased the system’s internal capacity. In some specialties, he said, production has grown three or four times compared with previous years.
The changes have already produced a notable shift in outpatient care. In 2025, the region recorded a positive balance in specialist ambulatory services, meaning more patients traveled to Friuli Venezia Giulia for treatment than left for care in other regions.
Still, the broader phenomenon of “health mobility” remains a challenge. The outflow of patients—documented since at least 2015, before the administration of regional president Massimiliano Fedriga—is particularly strong in orthopedics, prosthetics, ophthalmology and diagnostic services.
Many patients continue to seek care in private accredited facilities in neighboring Veneto, where providers often operate with larger budgets.
Regional authorities say the next step will be applying the same corrective measures used in outpatient services to hospital admissions and rehabilitation care. Officials are also examining the appropriateness of certain diagnostic procedures, as testing volumes in the region exceed the national average.
Riccardi said further specialization of hospitals and stronger coordination across the health network will be central to the region’s strategy, along with potential public-private partnerships and new agreements regulating patient mobility between Italian regions.
