Original scientific paper
THE ROLE OF GPS IN WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE – THE EU EXPERIENCE
Renata Pavlov
Mladenka Vrcić Keglević
; Zaklada za razvoj obiteljske medicine
Abstract
Primary health care was traditionally organized through women’s health services having a gynaecologist for the team leader in Croatia.
General practitioners (GPs) participated in women’s health care especially during the last twenty years. Therefore the aim of this study was to examine the role of GPs in the countries of the European
Union. The study was based on the questionnaire especially prepared for this purpose and answered by representatives from all 27 countries of the European Union (except Croatia); participants of
the Vasco de Gama Project on exchange of residents and young specialist in family medicine hosted by Croatia in 2013 as well as from the Vasco de Gama Forum in Barcelona in 2014. In 24 out of 27 countries of the EU GPs are included in women’s primary health care, in 22 countries together with the gynaecologists and in 2 countries they are on their own. In 23 countries they carry out preventive
and curative measures while only in one country just preventive measures are carried out. Preventive measures are carried out simultaneously, mostly contraception, then preconceptual consultation
and early detection of malignant diseases. Various contraceptive methods are applied, most frequently hormonal contraceptives but intrauterine devices as well. Gynaecological equipment could be found in general practitioner’s offices in 16 countries and in 13 country GPs are additionally paid for women’s health care. GPs are educated for women’s health care during their specialization in 26 countries. It
is mostly a combination of theory and practical education, but education models are different. Results of the study undoubtedly showed that GPs are involved in women’s health care in the
EU. Those results do not explain the reason why Croatian GPs are not involved in this activity.
Therefore additional studies are necessary. This problem is especially important regarding patients’ rights to over-the-border health protection because the patients from the EU are used to this form of
service to be included in general practice activities.
Keywords
women’s primary health care; general practitioner; EU countries
Hrčak ID:
136100
URI
Publication date:
11.3.2015.
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