Weaknesses of the existing organization for the Primary Health Care in European countries

General Medicine, 2023, 25(4), 13-17

M. Hristova, Tsv. Valentinova

Department of General Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University – Pleven

Abstract. The review of the available information on the state of Primary Health Care (PHC) from the „Health Systems in Transition“ publication series of the „European Observatory for Health Systems and Policies“ identified significant weaknesses in the organization of the implementation of this key activity. The purpose of the research is to outline the scope of the problems in the PHC, their repetition and similarity in the individual European countries and their interrelationship with the other units of the health system. An analysis was made of the official documents (reports) on the health systems of 17 European countries. The traditional method of document analysis and Content-analysis were used. The main most characteristic health-organizational problems in the provision of PHC for each of the seventeen countries are identified. The significant recurrent problems are grouped into the following categories (significant units): existing and/or impending deficiency of general practitioners (GPs), difficult access to GPs due to regional and social inequalities, aging of GPs and insufficient recruitment of young doctors; direct access of patients to specialized medical care. Based on the analysis, the conclusions of the study were drawn. The established scope and significance of the problems in the provision of PHC in the countries of the European region, the ascertained dependence on the socio-economic and demographic status of the countries are reasons for timely changes in the health systems of the affected countries.

Key words: primary health care, organization, problems

Address for correspondence: Miroslava Hristova, DM, е-mail: mir_h@abv.bg