Primary care in Baltic countries: a comparison of progress and present systems
Related Experiment Videos
Kaja Põlluste1, Vytautas Kasiulevičius, Sarmite Veide
1University of Tartu, Department of Internal Medicine, Tartu, Estonia. kaja.polluste@ut.ee
Objectives:
This study aims to compare the organisation of primary care (PC) systems in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, focusing on the structure and process of service delivery, and to discuss the suitability of the PHAMEU instrument for international comparison of PC systems.
Methods:
The data were collected in the framework of PHAMEU project during 2009-2010. The selected indicators were used to describe and compare the structure and process of PC in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Results:
The results showed that the coordination of PC services, legislative framework, service delivery, quality requirements and PC financing principles are rather similar in all three Baltic countries. Population coverage for PC services, cost sharing for some services, and the employment status of family doctors differs by country. The PHAMEU instrument was most applicable for the description and comparison of the structure of PC and some aspects of the process. Information about patient outcome and quality of care was neither available nor reliable enough.
Conclusion:
The development of PC systems in Baltic countries has been rather similar, but some aspects also differ between the countries. Use of a standardized instrument allows for international comparison, but assumes standardised data collection procedures in comparable countries.
Related Concept Videos
Primary Healthcare Services
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...
Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is limited...
Traditional Level Of Health Care System
The preventive healthcare service includes tests for screening. Preventive health care services include identifying and reducing disease risk...
Secondary Healthcare System
Introduction To Health Care Delivery System
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) advocates for a patient-centered, effective, safe, timely, equitable, and effective healthcare system. The National Priorities...
Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model
For example, a patient with a chronic illness...