Healthcare for children and adolescents in Poland

Pediatric health service utilization at tertiary hospitals in Denmark 2000-2018

Pediatric health service differs between and within countries. To prioritize limited resources, data-driven studies on pediatric tertiary hospital contacts are warranted. This population-based register study identified all contacts with four Danish tertiary hospitals 2000-2018 by 0-17-year-old patients. During 2000-2018, 2,496,001 individuals resided in Denmark while 0-17 years old, and the study described 829,562 inpatient and 3,932,744 outpatient contacts at tertiary hospitals by hospital, sex, age, diagnosis, department, and residence. Male patients accounted for more contacts overall (inpatient 55.51%, outpatient 52.40%) and more contacts with severe chronic disease (inpatient 56.24%, outpatient 54.41%). Median (interquartile range) patient age was 3.09 (0.26-9.96) and 8.48 (2.78-13.70) years for in- and outpatient contacts. Overall, 28.23% and 21.02% of in- and outpatient contacts included a diagnosis of a severe chronic disease, but the proportions differed across hospitals. A pattern of pediatric healthcare directed towards less severe diseases was observed: While the total number of outpatient visits at tertiary hospitals increased from 2000 to 2018, the proportion of these contacts which had a diagnosis of a severe chronic disease decreased. Future comparisons between hospitals regarding pediatric outcomes should consider potential differences in terms of uptake and diagnosis severity. Such findings may have implications for future pediatric organization, nationally and internationally.

The unified state qualification exam STEP-1 as a marker of the success of the education of pediatric doctors in Ukraine and Bogomolets National Medical University

BACKGROUND

Ukraine's higher medical education goes deeper and deeper every year in the European integration processes in the field of «Health Care» knowledge. Since 2005, the integrated license integrated exam STEP "General medical training" has been introduced in the country to diagnose the quality of training of specialists in all medical specialties. Since 2019, Ukraine, unlike other countries in Europe and the world, has been training specialists in the specialty "Pediatrics" at the stage of undergraduate training. The quality control of the training of specialists is carried out in the form of passing the Unified State Qualification Exam STEP (USQE STEP) separately for each medical specialty (Medicine and Pediatrics). Therefore, the purpose of our research is to conduct a comparative analysis of the results of the success of the first stage of the USQE STEP-1 by students of higher medical education in the specialty "Pediatrics" with the specialty "Medicine" in Ukraine and in the Bogomolets National Medical University (Bogomolets NMU).

METHODS

Analytical references to the results of the first stage of the USQE STEP-1 for the students who have completed theoretical medical disciplines specialty "Pediatrics" and the specialty "Medicine" in Ukraine and Bogomolets NMU, which are provided by the Testing Center at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Тhe statistical significance of comparative indicators was proved using Fisher's test, with a statistical error that corresponded to the specified value for ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

It is shown that in 2022, applicants of higher medical education of Ukraine with the specialty "Pediatrics" improved the overall success rate by 8.4%, and the success rate of subtests by an average of 10.5%, despite the state of war in Ukraine. The exception was the results of the licensing exam for the subtest component "Biochemistry": compared to 2021, the pass rate decreased by 3.6% in the specialty "Medicine" and by 6.4% in the specialty "Pediatrics". At Bogomolets NMU, the leaders of 2022 were the students of the "Pediatrics" specialty, their success rate is 2% higher than that of the "Medicine" specialty.

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis of the results of USQE STEP-1 by applicants of higher medical education of the specialties "Pediatrics" and "Medicine" in Ukraine showed the effectiveness of the selection of the specialty "Pediatrics" into a separate section of the training of specialists at the undergraduate level in the field of "Health Care". Using the methods of mathematical statistics, the effectiveness of organizational methodological techniques in the organization of the educational process in the conditions of the martial law of Ukraine and Bogomolets NMU as a leader in the training of specialists in Pediatric doctors has been proved.

PREVENTIVE EXAMINATIONS OF CHILDREN IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

OBJECTIVE

The aim: The aim of this study was to compare, analize and establish differences the recommendations for well-child visits and screenings till the age of 5 years in different countries .

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and methods: The comparative analysis of the data from governmental recommendations for pediatricians from Germany, Ukraine and Poland is conducted. It was used the guideline for medical care for a child under 3 years (The Order №149) and for a healthy child from 4 to 18 years (The Order №434) in Ukraine, the book «Kinderuntersuchungsheft» in Germany and child's examination book «Książeczka zdrowia dziecka» in Poland.

RESULTS

Results: The number of visits to children by the doctors in Ukraine is 1.5-2 times higher than in other countries and the nurses visit are absent in Germany. The neonatal screening for genetic and metabolic diseases, updated in 2021 in Ukraine, corresponds to such screenings in other countries. Physical examination is performed in accordance with WHO standards in Ukraine, while in Poland and Germany the growth references are specially developed for the pediatric population. There was a difference in the age of hearing screening, examination of the hip joints, tactics for assessing vision by a pediatrician. The use of vitamin D, fluoride, iodine and vitamin K is recommended in Poland and Germany from the birth, while in Ukraine only vitamins are used.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: It was found that the differences and similarities in preventive program in Ukraine, Poland and Germany. The results of this study may be useful for improving primary pediatric care.