Lyme neuroborreliosis epidemiology in Sweden 2010 to 2014: clinical microbiology laboratories are a better data source than the hospital discharge diagnosis register.

BackgroundIn a study from 2013 that prioritised communicable diseases for surveillance in Sweden, we identified Lyme borreliosis as one of the diseases with highest priority. In 2014, when the present study was designed, there were also plans to make neuroborreliosis notifiable within the European Union.AimWe compared possibilities of surveillance of neuroborreliosis in Sweden through two different sources: the hospital discharge register and reporting from the clinical microbiology laboratories.

Diversity as salvation? - A comparison of the diversity rationale in the Swedish pharmacy ownership liberalization reform and the primary care choice reform.

Widespread liberalizing reform of the Swedish community pharmacy and primary care sectors took place in 2009-2010, including opening the market to private providers. One important rationale for the reforms was to increase diversity in the health-care system by providing more choices for individuals. The aim of this study was to increase the understanding how policy makers understood and defined diversity as a concept, and as a rationale for the reforms.

Antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli isolates from outpatient urinary tract infections in women in six European countries including Russia.

Objectives: In the Northern Dimension Antibiotic Resistance Study (NoDARS), Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Sweden collected urine samples from outpatient women (aged 18-65years) with symptoms of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) to investigate the levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Escherichia coli isolates.

Methods: A total of 775 E. coli isolates from 1280 clinical urine samples were collected from October 2015 to January 2017.

Large variation in ESBL-producing Escherichia coli carriers in six European countries including Russia.

We investigated the faecal carriage prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase production in Escherichia coli (EP-EC) and/or Klebsiella pneumoniae (EP-KP) and risk factors associated with carriage among adult study subjects in Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Sweden (partner countries). The aim was to get indicative data on the prevalence of ESBL-carriage in specific populations in the region. Faecal samples were collected from four study populations and screened on ChromID-ESBL and ChromID-OXA-48 plates.

Stakeholders' expectations and perceived effects of the pharmacy ownership liberalization reform in Sweden: a qualitative interview study.

Background: Reforms in the health-care sector, including the pharmacy sector, can have different rationales. The Swedish pharmacies were prior to 2009 organized in a state-owned monopoly. In 2009, a liberalization of the ownership took place, in which a majority of the pharmacies were sold to private owners.