Original scientific paper
Organizational Structure of the Croatian Family Practice: A Longitudinal Study Based on Routinely Collected Data
Mladenka Vrcić Keglević
; Foundation for the Development of Family Medicine in Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Ines Balint
; Family Practice »Dr. Ines Balint«, Sveta Nedjelja, Croatia
Ivica Cvetković
; Family Practice »Dr. Ivica Cvetkovi}«, Samobor, Croatia
Ana Gaćina
; Family Practice »Dr. Ivica Cvetkovi}«, Samobor, Croatia
Abstract
This study was undertaken with the main aim of determining the trends in the number of family doctors’ (FD), gender
and educational structure, working status and the number of patients per FD between 1995 and 2013. As the main
source of data collection served the Croatian Health Service Yearbooks and Croatian Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) databases
on practices and FDs contracting in 2013. Obtained results indicated that the number of contracted FDs increased
until 2007, then decreased, and again increased until 2350 in 2013. Average number of patients on FDs list was
1987 in 2012. Less than 50% FDs were specialist in family medicine, 70.3% of them were self-employed with the CHIF
contract, and 81% were women. 123 practices planned by the Network did not have contracting FD in 2013. The lack of
FDs, the huge number of patients over the standard number, and the location of the missing practices within the rural
communities, together make Croatian FM practices less accessible.
Keywords
family practice; education structure; employment status; list size; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
147519
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2014.
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