[Health care reform in progress. Do all introduced changes obtain a patients' approval?]

The aim of this study was to get to know the opinions of General Practitioner (GP) patients' on functional elements of Polish health care system in relation to the period before the reform.

The study took place in one small town in zachodniopomorskie province. Data were gathered during the questionnaire study among GP patients in 2000/2001. Information from 421 questionnaires (opinions expressed by about 32% adults patients) was analyzed. Used questionnaire was modified version of questionnaire, used in earlier study realized in the same area in 1997. Earlier results (1997) were used to show comparison effects in present study. The major subjects were opinions about: the health care system, the primary and secondary health care, the hospital and relief. In presentation of results routine statistics procedure was used. The effective scale of social opinion expression was also used. This scale illustrates entire opinion in one number. Basing on obtained results of our own study and review of the other publications the following conclusions have been ascertained: 1. Not all opinions about health care reform have been equal. 2. The general opinion about the functioning of the health care system is now worse (-8.5 pts). Also opinions about primary care (-2 pts.) and secondary ambulatory care (-23 pts.) are worse. 3. The primary health care is positively perceived (+98 pts.), especially the care, which is realized by general practitioner in non-public sector. 4. Over 72% of non-public GP's patients have accepted the reformed principles of services in primary health care and they fail to notice the needs of further changes in this area.