Original scientific paper
Preventive Health Care for Pre-school Children in Croatia: Ongoing Trends from 1995 to 2012
Gordana Prljević
; Family Practice »Dr. Gordana Prljevi}«, Krapinske Toplice, Croatia
Josip Buljan
; Family Practice »Dr. Josip Buljan«, Velika Kopanica, Croatia
Mateja Marelja
; Family Practice »Dr. Gordana Prljevi}«, Krapinske Toplice, Croatia
Urelija Rodin
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, School of Public Health »Andrija [tampar«, Department of Social Medicine and Organization of Health Care, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In Croatia, primary health care for pre-school children is organized by pediatricians (PPs) for children in urban and
family doctors (FDs) for children in remote areas. This study was undertaken with the aim to determine the trends in
preventive activities (general, targeting, and control check-ups and total visits) in both services (FDs, PPs), between 1995
and 2012. The main adapt source was the Croatian Health Service Yearbooks. According to the results, the number and
the structure of preventive activities performed by PPs are relatively stable, while those performed by FDs decreased rapidly,
primarily because the number of children under the care decreased. It is probable in relations with the regulations to
direct the children to PPs and not to the FDs. The average numbers of all preventive activities are under the optimum.
There are many similarities between FDs’ and PPs’, some activities were frequently performed by FDs and others by
PPs’.
Keywords
preventive health care; pre-school children; pediatricians; family doctors; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
147536
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2014.
Visits: 904 *