engleski

The current availability of neurological in-patient services in post-communist central and eastern European countries.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Limited information can be obtained as to the availability of neurological in-patient services in the former communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe. The objective was to analyse data received directly from representatives of the particular countries. METHODS: The data were collected under the auspices of the 'First European Cooperation Neurology Workshop' held in April 2000, in Trest, Czech Republic. Neurologists from 15 post-communist countries provided information from their respective countries. Linear trends in graphs including the reliability value R(2) were used in the analysis of correlations. RESULTS: Data from 14 countries were assembled and trends were analysed. CONCLUSIONS: Direct relationships were found between: (1) the average department size and the average catchment area (R(2) = 0.1015) ; (2) the percentage of districts with a neurological in-patient department and the gross national product ~GNP) per capita (R(2) = 0.1359) ; (3) the average neurological department size and the GNP per capita (R(2) = 0.1135) ; and (4) the average length of treatment and the number of neurological beds/100, 000 inhabitants (R(2) = 0.1745). Inverse relationships were found between: (1) the number of neurological beds/100, 000 inhabitants and the average hospital catchment area (R(2) = 0.2105), and (2) the number of neurological beds/100, 000 inhabitants and the GNP per capita (R(2) = 0.1 144). Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

in-patient services; neurology; eartern European

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