This paper analyzes the Italian healthcare system, in particular the aspects concerning Accident and Emergency (A&E) and new concepts applied to this field in recent years. The paper describes the healthcare system as a whole, followed by an analysis of the Italian National Health System, with particular focus on legal and organizational aspects. Important theoretical ideas can be drawn from this area, which as well as being studied in the field of economics have also often been analyzed in other disciplines, such as medical science, epidemiology and statistics. These theoretical ideas involve insurance, the issue of information asymmetry and the structure of the hospital co-payment, which acts as a form of co-insurance and a way of partial cost coverage. The paper also describes the latest trends in the sector, with attention focused on A&E, the area chosen for analysis, using relevant data. The fast-track process for patients triaged white and related international research, such as the British ‘See and Treat’ method, are also analyzed. The data is then used to study two facilities, one in Chieri, which uses the fast-track process, and one in Moncalieri, which does not. At this stage some issues arose regarding the standardization of data, so some statistical tests were conducted to check the homogeneity of the two populations. Finally, a case is used to draw various conclusions, discussing the effective value of the process dedicated to patients with triage code white both in terms of cost and in relation to waiting times and risk reduction.

Tradition has it that the Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates said: “The human body is a temple, and must therefore always be cared for and respected.” The clear medical implications of this statement should not be neglected, nor should they be forgotten in other disciplines such as economics.

Indeed, the healthcare system is a structure of great interest for analysis by various sciences, ranging from medicine and surgery to economics, particularly regarding the analysis of healthcare spending. All these disciplines must always bear in mind the incredibly unique nature of health as an asset, which falls outside the usual concepts of supply and demand, and always comply with the difficult relationship deriving from lack of it.

Management Research Journal, Pros and Cons, Fast-Track Process, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Accident and Emergency (A&E), Context Analysis, Information Asymmetry, Accident and Emergency departments (A&E departments).