Economic aspects of prevention refer to the costs and benefits associated with measures aimed at preventing various problems and risks. Prevention can include measures aimed at preventing disease, crime, harmful behavior, environmental problems and other areas. There are several important economic aspects of prevention: cost reduction, productivity gains, social and human benefits and long-term sustainability. It is important to realize that prevention requires initial investments and often its economic impact is not immediately visible. However, a long-term evaluation of costs and benefits shows that prevention can be an economically beneficial strategy that brings a large number of socioeconomic benefits for the individual and society as a whole.
Introduction: Managers in the field of healthcare face many challenges that are specific to this area and are caused by the dynamic and constantly changing healthcare environment. Research sample and research objective: The main research objective was to evaluate significant aspects of financing and organizing healthcare systems, summarize assumptions for the successful functioning of a healthcare system, assess factors influencing healthcare spending, and predict the challenges that healthcare managers will face in 2023 at both the micro (individual healthcare facilities) and macro (healthcare system in Slovakia) levels. The research sample was selected by deliberate selection and consisted of 109 respondents: healthcare managers (n=16), experts from the field of health management (n=15), experts from the field of human resources (n=19), directors of health facilities (n=10), medical (n=28) and paramedical staff (n=21). Methods: Statistical testing was carried out using the methods of inferential statistics: the independent samples t-test was used to compare mean scores between two groups (RQ1 and RQ2) and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare mean scores among three groups (RQ 3). Results: We found out there are no differences in the respondents' opinions on the challenges for healthcare managers in 2023 based on their job titles, the type of health facility in which they work or according to the length of practice. Conclusion: According to the respondents, the most current trends and challenges for Slovak healthcare are: the need for qualified medical personnel, a focus on retaining employees and solving the growing costs of healthcare.
Introduction: Diseases of civilization represent a group of diseases that have common risk factors as a result of long-term exposure to an unhealthy lifestyle, an unhealthy diet, smoking, a lack of physical activity and stress. Aim of the research: To find out whether random respondents who took part in the "Days of Health" event at the Bardejov Spa have basic knowledge about diseases of civilization. Based on the findings, draw recommendations for practice. Research sample group: 398 respondents: 305 women and 93 men. The average age of the respondents was 56.4 years (+-12.8 years). Methodology: On a voluntary and anonymous basis, the patients filled out a questionnaire focused on their knowledge about diseases of civilization. The questionnaire contained both closed and open questions. Results: The authors of the article analyzed respondents' answers. The results were statistically processed. Conclusion: Our results show that there is a need for repeated interventions by health care workers (doctors, nurses) and public health workers to spread awareness about diseases of civilization and the possibility of their prevention. Increasing the level of health literacy is a good prerequisite for a healthier population.
This issue of the Clinical and Social Intervention Journal is devoted to the main pillars of public health, starting with epidemiology, community medicine, through biostatistics and informatics to behavioural sciences, management and policies in public health. The contributions are compiled so as to present a holistic view of current public health problems, indicate the need for their solution in a wider interdisciplinary context, and to enable the fulfilment of the main goals in this area along with future challenges.
Introduction: Healthcare worldwide is struggling with many problems that have been escalated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the military conflict in Ukraine. The gap between the possibilities and the needs in the provision of health services is opening more and more. Therefore, it is necessary to look for ways to streamline processes at the level of the hospitals themselves and their management. Research aim and objectives: The aim of the research was to examine the mutual connections between the use of lean management principles and the ratings of hospitals in the Slovak Republic and to identify the influence of external and internal factors in this relationship. The sample consisted of 175 managers from 35 hospitals. Methods: To verify the hypotheses, the SEM method was used in the Smart Pls 3.3 software at a significance level of 0.05. Results: We discovered that there is a statistically significant connection between the use of lean principles and hospital ratings. If other variables enter the model, the overall effect of the mentioned variables is significantly increased. The stakeholder demands variable has a significant mediating effect (β = 0.470; p=0.000). The social lean climate variable has a lower indirect effect in the Slovak environment (β = 0.291; p=0.000). Conclusion: Our research shows the unequivocal importance of applying the principles of lean management in healthcare. There is ever-increasing pressure to increase quality and improve process efficiency from various stakeholders as well as pressure from within hospitals.
