Projects / Programmes
Research In The Field Of Public Health
July 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 3.08.00 |
Medical sciences |
Public health (occupational safety) |
|
| 1.08.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Control and care of the environment |
|
| 3.01.00 |
Medical sciences |
Microbiology and immunology |
|
| 3.09.00 |
Medical sciences |
Psychiatry |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B680 |
Biomedical sciences |
Public health, epidemiology |
| S290 |
Social sciences |
Social medicine |
Public health, health promotion, communicable diseases, family medicine, environmental health, mental health
Researchers (18)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The significance of strengthening the research in the field of public health is underlined by the increasingly important health development strategies in the scope of which the research in the field of public health supports the health policy. On the other hand, the research of public health contributes significantly also to science with its specific work methods, especially epidemiological. The need for in-depth research in the field of public health that would upgrade the findings based on the fundamental health statistics is constantly increasing.
The next characteristic of research in the field of public health is the need for interdisciplinary co-operation which is why the key thematic sets selected on the basis of importance of the problems of modern public health in Slovenia were defined in the proposed research programme. These sets include PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH which represents one of the fundamental public health problems of the future, ALERT NETWORKS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES that will facilitate efficient control over the communicable diseases, and QUALITY FAMILY MEDICINE which is the basis for a quality health service.
The selected infections and communicable diseases are a serious public health problem. The currently available data received from the national epidemiological monitoring do not allow for a realistic estimate of their burden and the population trends. The results of the research programme will provide data for the formation of a quality national doctrine and policy for the prevention and management of mumps, Varicella-Zoster virus infections and hospital infections, infections related to travelling and tracking of the efficiency of these programmes.
As there are several factors that influence mental health, namely biological and psychological, economic, political and cultural, the measuring system must be designed so as to include all the significant determinants of mental health. The proposed sets of research projects in the field of mental health are: Indicators of public mental health, Scope and manageability of certain most frequent forms of mental disorders, Monitoring of health indicators in certain specific groups of population and Evaluation of promotion and prevention materials.
Family medicine is a professional upgrade of general medicine. It is a profession that has recently experienced a fast development. The development of a new specialisation arising from family medicine guarantees that quality development of the profession will also continue in this area. The findings of the research programme will help us to actively participate in the provision of specialist studies in the field of family medicine and also in under- and post-graduate educational programmes.
Significance for science
We must promote ourselves through developing solutions for solving public health problems. This is a long process that demands demands interdisciplinary and evidence-based approach. In Slovenia, family medicine is understood as an upgrade of general practice. It is a discipline that has developed very much in the past. The development of a modern specialisation of family medicine was a a guarantee for a further development of this discipline. The results of the research programme will be implemented in the curriculum of the specialisation. The results of the programme will also be implemented in other curricula of undergraduate and postgraduate training. Scientific results, important for the development of family medicine are: - The development of a tool for measurement of quality of organisation of general practice offices; - The development of a tool for measurement of quality of preventive activities; - The developemnt of a tool for measurement ethical dilemmas in general practice; - The development of a tool for measurement of satisfaction in emergency services. Infectious diseases still represent an important public health problem. Results of our research programme have provided us with the data for the developemnt of quality national guidelines and policies for prevention of mumps, varicella-zoster infections and hospital infections and travel diseases. The programme has salso provided us with possibilities how to monitor the effectiveness of these programmes. Mental helath is influenced by many factors. Because of that the system of its measurement must be designed in such a way that it encompassess all the elements of mental health. The results of the research programme are indicators of mental health, epidemiology and control of some common mental disorders, monitoring of health indicators for some target groups and an evaluation of promotive and preventive materials.
Significance for the country
A characteristic of public health research is a need for interdiscuiplinary cooperation. The programme was composed of themes that have been selected because of their public health importance. In Slovenia. The themes are Public mental health, which is one of the key health problems of the future, Sentinel networks for infectious diseases that will enable us to monitor infectious diseases and Quality family medicine, which is a basis of health services. The results important for family medicine are: Assessment of qulaity of and organisation of general practice offices Assessment of quality of management of hypertensive patients Analysis of adherence to guidelines on hypertension Analysis of ethical dilemmas in general practice An important output of the programme is also the development of an internet based system of monitoring or infetions with respiratory syncytial virus. In travel medicine, we have managed to develop a wide portal ZdraviNaPot+nazaj (www.ZdraviNaPot.net), where information about safety of travel and health protection in all the coutries in the worrld is published. We have managed to ensure contacts with all key players in international travel (tourist agencies, Ministry for internal and external affairs and many other agencies and societies). In the period of 2006-2008 we have been able to prepare analyses of health status of people attending our office, where we give advice to travellers. We have also monitored the traffic on our website and characteristics of questions raised. Based on this information we were able to plan further activities for safer travel. The results of the research programme will be seen after some years, because their transfer into policy takes time. We hope we have provided the policy with a good base for the the future development of public health in the country.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
