Cytisine Versus Varenicline for Smoking Cessation in a Primary Care Setting: A Randomized Non-inferiority Trial.

Introduction: A smoking-cessation program was implemented as a randomized non-inferiority trial in primary care practices in Croatia and Slovenia to investigate whether a standard 4-week treatment with cytisine was at least as effective and feasible as a standard 12-week treatment with varenicline in helping smokers quit.

Aims And Methods: Out of 982 surveyed smokers, 377 were recruited to the non-inferiority trial: 186 were randomly assigned to cytisine and 191 to varenicline treatment. The primary cessation outcome was 7-day abstinence after 24 weeks, while the primary feasibility outcome was defined by adherence to the treatment plan.

Development of family medicine specialist curriculum in Croatia: challenging experiences.

The specialization in family medicine (FM) was introduced in the academic year 1960/61, but there was an almost 12-year gap in its implementation. Specialized training (ST) was reintroduced in 2003 through the project "Harmonization of family medicine with EU standards introducing a FM specialization". The aim of this paper is not to present all of the developmental phases of the ST curriculum, but to provide accounts of some of the challenging experiences which might be of help to the readers.

Organization and functioning of primary care for women in Croatia: in relation to the health care reforms introduced between 1995 and 2012.

The main aim of this study was to investigate trends in the organization and functioning of the HC service. The Croatian Health Service Yearbooks, from 1995 to 2012, served as the basis for the data. The results showed that the HC reforms aimed at the organization and functioning of primary care for women somehow compromised their accessibility.

Trends of absenteeism in Croatia: a longitudinal study from 2000 to 2012.

The aim of this article is to determine the trends in absenteeism from 2000 to 2012 in Croatia and to examine if the observed trends could be related to the regulations implemented to keep the absenteeism on low level. In Croatia only family doctors keep the responsibility for sick leave and were always been targeted by many regulations to keep absenteeism on appropriate level. A study was observational and retrospective based on the official CHIF data available from the web-page.

Trends in general practitioners/family doctors workload in Croatia in period 1995-2012.

This research aimed to present public data describing the Croatian family doctors (FDs) workload, presented as the average number of patients on the lists, and annual and daily number of consultations per one FD team during the period 1995-2012. Croatian Health Service Yearbook for consecutive years was used as basis for data collection. Impressive increase number of persons on FD lists and significant increase of rate of persons per FD team were observed.

Cardiovascular drugs consumption--comparison between two Croatian regions, City of Zagreb and Lika-Senj County.

The aim of this paper is to determine the differences in the outpatient consumption of cardiovascular drugs between Croatian regions: the City of Zagreb and Lika-Senj County. The data on the number of packages and the purchase price for each drug have been obtained from all pharmacies in Lika-Senj County and all pharmacies in the City of Zagreb. Defined daily doses/1000 inhabitants/day (DDD/1000/day) was calculated for every drug in accordance with its code name and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical/Defined Daily Dose (ATC/DDD) index of the World Health Organization (WHO) for 2007.

Automated static perimetry: the influence of myopic anisometropia on evaluation of visual field.

The aim of study was to establish which level of myopic refractive error influences visual field defects in automated static perimetry, if these defects are typical, and if optimal correction normalized the visual field. The study included 100 patients (200 eyes) divided into three groups according to the severity of the myopic refractive error: group A (till -3.25 Dsph), group B (-3.

[Primary health care and family medicine--possibilities for treatment of opiate addicts].

The global trend of promoting management and treatment of drug addicts in family physician offices is the result of the success of opioid agonist therapy. Studies have shown favorable results by shifting treatment into the hands of family physician. This process contributes to general health care of drug addicts and their health by linking different areas of health care, thereby providing comprehensive protection.

Risk factors for fatal outcome in patients with opioid dependence treated with methadone in a family medicine setting in Croatia.

Aim: To determine the risk factors for fatal outcome in patients with opioid dependence treated with methadone at the primary care level.

Methods: A group of 287 patients with opioid dependence was monitored prospectively from 1995 to 2007. At the beginning of the study, we collected the data on patient baseline characteristics, treatment characteristics, and living environment.

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.

Identification of general characteristics, motivation, and satisfaction of internet-based medical consultation service users in Croatia.

Aim: To identify users' reasons to look for physician consultation on the internet instead of visiting a physician and to explore their general characteristics, motivation, and satisfaction with internet medical consultation service 'Your Questions.'

Methods: Users of a free internet medical consultation service 'Your Questions' (www.plivazdravlje.

[Preventive work in family medicine--proactive approach].

The role of general practitioner/family physician (GP/FP) in disease prevention and health promotion is strongly supported by research and health policies. The position of GPs/FPs in the health care system and their close, sustained contact with their patients and local community makes preventive care an integral part of GP/FP routine work. The spectrum of caring for patients in general practice/family medicine is actually very large, going from intervention on health care determinants to palliative care.

Information systems and the electronic health record in primary health care.

The implementation of information systems into primary health care opened the possibilities of providing integrated and co-ordinated health care, improved in quality and focused on the healthcare user. The healthcare system, researchers, physicians, and patients have recognised the benefits offered by informatics, but also raised questions that have yet to be answered.

Chronic patients--persons with diabetes frequent attenders in Croatian family practice.

Chronic diseases cause high frequency visits and generate the long-term frequent attenders (FAs). The connection between frequent attendance and specific morbidities in the health care systems in transitional Europe has been underestimated. We investigated whether frequent visits of chronic patients in primary care are related to characteristic of chronic disease (diabetes mellitus) and whether this is influenced by the family practice in the transitional health care.

[Specialization in family medicine--has all the planned been achieved?].

The planned, comprehensive inclusion of general practitioners/family physicians in specialist education has begun with the project entitled Harmonization of Family Medicine Service with European Standards by the Implementation of Compulsory Residency. According to the Project, all physicians working in family medicine practice should have an opportunity to complete the respective residency by 2015. Analysis of the planned and completed family medicine residency in Croatia during the 2002-2006 period is presented.

[Acute infections of the upper respiratory tract--factors that contribute to diagnosis and antibiotic prescription decisions].

Unlabelled: Acute infections of the upper respiratory tract contribute to over 20% of the morbidity of the population in ambulatory care, with the highest incidence in children. A noted problem in the treatment of these diseases is overprescription of antibiotics. In addition, there is a high degree of variability among physicians in the frequency and cost of antibiotic prescription.

[Skin diseases as a reason for frequent preschool children, primary health care attendance].

Unlabelled: Childhood morbidity has changed. Western children more often present with skin problems than with respiratory problems. A significant percentage of the workload of a general practitioner is dermatologic.

[Quality of life assessment of the male with benign prostate hypertrophy].

Introduction: Benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) is prostate enlargement caused by the proliferation of the glandular, fibrous and muscular parenchyma of periurethral formations. BPH is a histological diagnosis with clinical manifestation of the lower urinary system symptoms.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the patients' quality of life and to identify BPH symptoms that do and do not influence the patients' quality of life.

[ICPC-2--international classification of primary health care and its application in Croatian health care].

A consensus reached by the medical profession, Croatian Institute of Health Insurance, Croatian Institute of Public Health, and Ministry of Health constitutes a solution to the problem of a data standard required in building an information system for primary health care. This consists of accepting ICPC-2 as a data standard for our Family Medicine, Pediatrics and Women's Health. The classification structure of the International Classification of Primary Care allows, recommends and urges that special codes be established by individual states or local authorities when registering patients' reasons for seeking medical aid or medical procedures.

[Scientific and research projects of the Department of Family Medicine--contribution to the identity of general practice/family medicine as a scientific discipline].

The main task of an academic department of any medical discipline is an integrated development and improvement of professional, scientific and educational activities. The proces of formulation, establishment and recognition of general practice/family medicine as an academic discipline in Croatia started with postgraduate education and vocational training in 1960 at the Andrija Stampar School of Public Health. In 1980 Department of Family Medicine of the Medical School, University of Zagreb was officially established.