Measuring Integrated Care - Methodological Reflections from Monitoring and Evaluation Process of the PHC Plus Pilot Program in Poland.

Introduction: Integrated care is an important strategy for increasing health system performance. Despite its growing significance, detailed evidence on the measurement properties of integrated care instruments remains vague and limited. This article aims to present the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (M&EF) used in the pilot program of coordinated primary care in Poland.

European Union Structural Funds as the Source of Financing Health Care Infrastructure Investments in Poland-A Longitudinal Analysis.

European Union (EU) structural funds aim at reducing economic and social disparities between the member states regions. The objectives of the study were to (1) provide a summary overview of all health related projects co-financed by EU structural funds in Poland between 2004 and 2020, (2) define the share of projects/funds devoted to infrastructure investments, and (3) assess the total value of EU structural funds' contribution to health care infrastructure investments in comparison to the national public budgets. Data on projects co-financed by EU structural funds covered all projects realized under three financial perspectives: 2004-2006; 2007-2013; 2014-2020.

Financial Performance of Public Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study among Polish Providers.

There is growing evidence of a positive association between health care providers' financial standing and the quality of care. In Poland, the instable financial situation and growing debt of public hospitals has been a source of concern for more than two decades now. The objectives of this paper were to compare the financial performance of public hospitals in Poland, depending on the ownership and organizational form; and analyze whether there is an association between financial performance and the chosen variables.

Effective protection from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in Poland: The World Health Organization perspective.

Tobacco is the single greatest preventable cause of death in the world today, killing approximately half of the people who use it. Several strategies have been proved to reduce tobacco use. However, more than 50 years after the health effects of smoking were scientifically proven, and more than 20 years after evidence confirmed the hazards from exposure to second-hand smoke, few countries have implemented effective and recognized strategies to control the tobacco epidemic.

[Pictorial health warnings on tobacco products packages as a part of tobacco epidemic control].

The use of tobacco products has been described by the World Health Organization as the risk factor responsible for six out of eight causes of death in the world. Informing about the harm of smoking may be presented in many ways like media campaigns, text warnings, or graphic warnings placed on tobacco products. The aim of this article is to describe the role of graphic warnings placed on tobacco products in light of tobacco control.

[Global Adult Tobacco Survey in Poland--the aim and current experiences].

Poland is one of the countries, where smoking is widely spread and smoking-induced diseases have become a significant health and socio-economic issue. Since 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in cooperation with partner organizations have been working on the implementation of the global control system known as the Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS). This system expands the opportunities of individual countries in the area of designing, implementing and evaluating comprehensive anti-tobacco programs.

[MPOWER--strategy for fighting the global tobacco epidemic].

It is estimated that tobacco use may cause death of 5 million people in 2008, which is higher than the number of deaths attributed to tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and malaria taken together. By 2030, the number of deaths related to the tobacco epidemic could exceed annually even 8 million. Despite many difficulties, a growing number of countries undertake intensive actions aimed at tobacco control.

The incidence of Streptococcus Group B in 100 parturient women and the transmission of pathogens to the newborn.

Objectives: Perinatal infections are one of the fundamental causes of early puerperal complications in mothers and neonates. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of Streptococcus group B (GBS) colonization in parturient women and the rate of pathogen transmission to the newborn.

Material And Methods: The study group consisted of 100 consecutive parturient women and their newborns.

[Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)--implementation process in Poland].

In the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ( FCTC) is stated a need to develop national, regional and global program of control, mechanisms, determinant factors, consequences of using tobacco products and inhaling tobacco smoke. One of crucial elements of global control system of tobacco use--Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS) is Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). Poland is amongst several countries which were invited to conduct GATS.