Nurse coordinator of care as a facilitator of integration processes in palliative care.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This paper investigates the feasibility and the perception of the nurse's role as the palliative care coordinator. BACKGROUND: Integrated care is a global imperative in all healthcare improvement processes. Due to Andrija Stampar's success in the organisation of public health services, Croatia today has more than hundred years of experience in care integration. The palliative care system has been continuously developing since 2014 as an integrated care model, with nurses as care coordinators. METHODS: The study used a mixed methodology based on pragmatic research principles, including an analysis of strategic and policy documents and reports, and thematic analysis of focus group conducted with palliative care coordinators, following COREQ checklist. RESULTS: Although a legal, professional and financial regulation of nurse coordinators has been achieved, a number of implementation challenges remain. These challenges arise as a result of long-term fragmentation of the health and social care, and can be found in both horizontal and vertical integration of care, that is in the dimensions of functional, clinical, cultural and social integration. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses play a central role in care coordination. Coordination and integration promote professionalisation with clear roles and tasks. However, even with the legal, professional and financial implementation of the nurse coordinator model, it has to be further promoted as an equally important job in the healthcare system, with nurses as competent professionals in charge of care coordination. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Palliative care provides a range of individualised, coordinated services that meet the medical and non-medical needs of seriously ill patients. Described model of palliative care in Croatia is particularly important because it was developed as an integrated part of health care (and partly social welfare) system, indicating with the nurse's role as palliative care coordinator that coordination is a continuous process that requires a dedicated professional role.

Health Status, Lifestyle, Use of Health Services, Social Capital and Life Satisfaction As Predictors of Mental Health - Comparative Analysis of Women that Receive and Do not Receive Public Assistance in Croatia.

BACKGROUND: The connection between socio-economic status and health is documented, yet not fully understood. The goal of this research was to analyze the relationship between socio-economic status, lifestyle and health status, availability of health-care, social capital, and satisfaction with life. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Subjects were 1117 women aged 25-65 years divided in two groups. Group 1 consisted of women who receive public assistance (N1=591), while Group 2 consisted of women who do not (N2=526). The sample was stratified by random choice into multiple stages based on six regions of Croatia, residential area size, and the age of respondents. Visiting nurses surveyed the deprived population, while in Group 2 self-interviewing was conducted. A questionnaire entitled "Inequalities in health" was used. The respondents participated in this research voluntarily and anonymously. RESULTS: Socially deprived women consume spirits and wine more often (p<0.001). There is no difference between groups regarding tobacco consummation. Working women perform significantly less strenuous physical tasks (p<0.001). Deprived women are significantly less engaged in physical activities (p<0.001). Health conditions in deprived women more commonly limit their physical activity (p<0.001). There is a significant difference in utilization of health-care among groups (p<0.001). Younger women who are married, with a higher number of household members, a larger income, and with higher education are generally more satisfied with life (p<0.001). Although deprived women are significantly less satisfied with their lives, feel less free, are less physically active, and less likely to consume spirits or beer, they are significantly happier than working women (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Personal health status and lifestyle, access to health-care services, and life satisfaction have a high importance as predictors and protective factors of mental health in women - recipients of state-provided financial welfare.

Factors Influencing Health Care Providers Payment Reforms in Central and Eastern European Countries.

Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have recently implemented reforms to health care provider payment systems, which include changing payment methods and related systems such as contracting, management information systems, and accountability mechanisms. This study examines factors influencing provider payment reforms implemented since 2010 in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. A four-stage mixed methods approach was used: developing a theoretical framework and data collection form using existing literature, mapping payment reforms, consulting with national health policy experts, and conducting a comparative analysis. Qualitative analysis included inductive thematic analysis and deductive approaches based on an existing health policy model, distinguishing context, content, process, and actors. We analyzed 27 payment reforms that focus mainly on hospitals and primary health care. We identified 14 major factor themes influencing those reforms. These factors primarily related to the policy process (pilot study, coordination of implementation systems, availability of funds, IT systems, training for providers, reform management) and content (availability of performance indicators, use of clinical guidelines, favorability of the payment system for providers, tariff valuation). Two factors concerned the reform context (political willingness or support, regulatory framework, and bureaucracy) and two were in the actors' dimension (engagement of stakeholders, capacity of stakeholders). This study highlights that the content and manner of implementation (process) of a reform are crucial. Stakeholder involvement and their capacities could influence every dimension of the reform cycle. The nine countries analyzed share similarities in barriers and facilitators, suggesting the potential for cross-country learning.

Assessment of Salt, Potassium, and Iodine Intake in the Croatian Adult Population Using 24 h Urinary Collection: The EH-UH 2 Study.

Cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in Croatia, are linked to the high prevalence of hypertension. Both are associated with high salt intake, which was determined almost two decades ago when Croatian Action on Salt and Health (CRASH) was launched. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate salt, potassium, and iodine intake using a single 24 h urine sample in a random sample of the adult Croatian population and to analyse trends in salt consumption after the CRASH was intensively started. METHODS: In this study, we analysed data on 1067 adult participants (mean age 57.12 (SD 13.9), men 35%). RESULTS: Mean salt and potassium intakes were 8.6 g/day (IQR 6.2-11.2) and 2.8 g/day (IQR 2.1-3.5), respectively, with a sodium-to-potassium ratio of 2.6 (IQR 1.8-3.3). We detected a decrease of 17.6% (2 g/day less) in salt consumption compared with our previous salt-mapping study. However, only 13.7% and 8.9% met the WHO salt and potassium recommended targets of 5 g/day and 3.5 g/day, respectively. Salt intake was higher, and potassium ingestion was lower, in rural vs. urban regions and in continental vs. Mediterranean parts of Croatia. Moderate to severe iodine insufficiency was determined in only 3% of the adult participants. CONCLUSION: In the last fifteen years, salt consumption has been significantly reduced in the Croatian adult population because of the intensive and broad CRASH program. However, salt intake is still too high, and potassium ingestion is too low. Salt reduction programs are the most cost-effective methods of cardiovascular disease prevention and merit greater consideration by the government and health policy makers.

[Socioeconomic status and risky health behaviors in Croatian adult population]. / Socioekonomski status i rizicna zdravstvena ponasanja odrasle hrvatske populacije.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Based on the previous research, there is strong association between low socioeconomic status (SES) and high morbidity and mortality rates. Even though association between SES and risky health behaviors as the main factors influencing health has been investigated in Croatian population, some questions are yet to be answered. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking and excessive drinking in low, middle, and high socioeconomic group of adult Croatian population included in the cohort study on regionalism of cardiovascular health risk behaviors. We also investigated the association between SES measured by income, education and occupation, as well as single SES indicators, and risky health behaviors. SAMPLE AND METHODS: We analyzed data on 1227 adult men and women (aged 19 and older at baseline) with complete data on health behaviors, SES and chronic diseases at baseline (2003) and 5-year follow up. Respondents were classified as being healthy or chronically ill. SES categories were derived from answers to questions on monthly household income, occupation and education by using two-step cluster analysis algorithm. RESULTS: At baseline, for the whole sample as well as for healthy respondents, SES was statistically significantly associated with unhealthy diet (whole sample/healthy respondents: p = 0.001), physical inactivity (whole sample/healthy respondents p = 0.44/ p = 0.007), and smoking (whole sample/healthy respondents p < 0.001/p = 0.002). The proportion of respondents with unhealthy diet was greatest in the lowest social class, smokers in the middle and physically inactive in the high social class. During the follow up, smoking and physical inactivity remained statistically significantly associated with SES. In chronically ill respondents, only smoking was statistically significantly associated with SES, at baseline and follow up (p = 0.001/p = 0.002). The highest share of smokers was in the middle social class. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Results of our study show that risky health behaviors are associated with SES and are divergently represented across socioeconomic groups of adult Croatian population. There is an obvious need for interventions targeting the specific socioeconomic group and behavior characteristic of that group.

Role and perspectives of informal care: a qualitative study of informal caregivers in the Republic of Croatia.

OBJECTIVES: Population ageing and the prevalence of multimorbidity represent major challenges for healthcare systems. People who need long-term care have complex conditions requiring both health and social services. Informal caregivers are emerging as an important part of the long-term care ecosystem. This paper aims to explore the position and capacities of informal caregivers in Croatia. DESIGN: Health and social care legislative documents were analysed using a structured set of keywords. In addition, focus groups were conducted with informal caregivers who cared for a family member. The qualitative method of thematic analysis was used. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two focus groups were conducted with 15 caregivers (13 women and 2 men). Geographically, participants came from all four NUTS2 Croatian regions. All participants cared for a close family member. The length of care provision ranged from 3 to 35 years. Focus groups were conducted using the Zoom platform. RESULTS: The analysis of the documents indicates the fragmentation of national policy into health and social policy. Long-term care as a term is recognised only in health policy. However, some components related to long-term care are part of social policy. Caregivers are recognised in social policy, although not in healthcare. In focus groups, three main themes were identified as follows: (1) position and role of the caregivers in the system and society; (2) types of care based on the recipient's need and (3) support for the caregivers. CONCLUSION: The research showed that the process of exercising certain rights and services for caregivers is not sufficiently clear and feasible in practice. There is a lack of a clearly defined role of caregivers and relationships towards professional care providers in the system. The key to improving long-term care is connecting community services, including health and social services, both formal and informal, with the process of providing care.

Could determinants of PCS and MCS serve for public health intervention regarding chronic diseases in Croatia?

The aim of this article was to identify parameters that determinate PCS and MCS values, and analyze 5-year changes in those values according to the age, sex and geographic region. Cohort of 3229 participants was obtained from the CAHS 2003-2008. Results revealed no statistically significant differences between same age group, sex, and different region regarding PCS and MCS. When chronic conditions were in the model difference was present, PCS being more influenced by all conditions but bronchial asthma. The strongest influence comes from musculoskeletal conditions; followed by weak heart. Values for PSC and MSC decreased in 2008 compared with 2003, but only in few cases decrease was statistically significant. Values of PCS and MCS are higher in men in all regions, but they show higher variability than woman. Our results support the findings that data obtained through SF-36 could be the useful for public health interventions regarding chronic diseases.

Association of behavioral cardiovascular risk factors with mortality in Croatian adult population: the CroHort study.

This study examined individual and combined influence of smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol drinking, and unhealthy diet on total mortality. Relationship between individual and combined poor health behaviours and total mortality were examined using Cox proportional hazards regression. Out of 7490 individuals included in the study, during 5 years follow up 808 died. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for men with health behaviour scores 1, 2, 3, and 4 compared with those with score 0 were 1.67 (1.24-2.24), 2.28 (1.64-3.18), 2.24 (1.32-3.84), and 2.86 (0.77-11.70), respectively (p value for trend < 0.001). Adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for women with health behaviour scores 1, 2, and 3 compared with those with score 0 were 1.17 (0.97-1.42), 1.37 (1.02-1.86), and 1.20 (0.37-3.61), respectively (p value for trend = 0.04). A unit of the health behaviour score increased mortality risk equivalent to being 5.9 and 2.9 years older, for man and woman respectively.