<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Introduction. Besides participation in the primary prevention, screening as secondary prevention is an important requirement for primary care services. The effect of this work is influenced by the characteristics of individual primary care practices and doctors’ screening habits, as well as by the regulation of screening processes and available financial resources. Between 1999 and 2009, a managed care program was introduced and carried out in Hungary, financed by the government. This financial support and motivation gave the opportunity to increase the number of screenings. Method. 4,462 patients of 40 primary care practices were screened on the basis of SCORE risk assessment. The results of the screening were compared on the basis of two groups of patients, namely: those who had been pre-screened (pre-screening method) for known risk factors in their medical history (smoking, BMI, age, family cardiovascular history), and those randomly screened. The authors also compared the mortality data of participating primary care practices with the regional and national data. Results. The average score was significantly higher in the pre-screened group of patients, regardless of whether the risk factors were considered one by one or in combination. Mortality was significantly lower in the participating primary practices than had been expected on the basis of the national mortality data. Conclusion. This government-financed program was a big step forward to establish a proper screening method within Hungarian primary care. Performing cardiovascular screening of a selected target group is presumably more appropriate than screening within a randomly selected population. Both methods resulted in a visible improvement in regional mortality data, though it is very likely that with pre-screening a more cost-effective selection for screening may be obtained.</abstract>

Introduction. Besides participation in the primary prevention, screening as secondary prevention is an important requirement for primary care services. The effect of this work is influenced by the characteristics of individual primary care practices and doctors’ screening habits, as well as by the regulation of screening processes and available financial resources. Between 1999 and 2009, a managed care program was introduced and carried out in Hungary, financed by the government. This financial support and motivation gave the opportunity to increase the number of screenings. Method. 4,462 patients of 40 primary care practices were screened on the basis of SCORE risk assessment. The results of the screening were compared on the basis of two groups of patients, namely: those who had been pre-screened (pre-screening method) for known risk factors in their medical history (smoking, BMI, age, family cardiovascular history), and those randomly screened. The authors also compared the mortality data of participating primary care practices with the regional and national data. Results. The average score was significantly higher in the pre-screened group of patients, regardless of whether the risk factors were considered one by one or in combination. Mortality was significantly lower in the participating primary practices than had been expected on the basis of the national mortality data. Conclusion. This government-financed program was a big step forward to establish a proper screening method within Hungarian primary care. Performing cardiovascular screening of a selected target group is presumably more appropriate than screening within a randomly selected population. Both methods resulted in a visible improvement in regional mortality data, though it is very likely that with pre-screening a more cost-effective selection for screening may be obtained.

Comparison of Cardiovascular Risk Screening Methods and Mortality Data Among Hungarian Primary care Population: Preliminary Results of the First Government-Financed Managed care Program / Primerjava Metod Presejanja Ogroženosti Srčno-Žilnega Sistema In Podatkov O Smrtnosti Madžarskega Prebivalstva Z Osnovno Zdravstveno Oskrbo: Predhodni Rezultati Prvega Programa Vodene Oskrbe, Ki Ga Je Financirala Vlada

Irinyi Health Center, General Practice, 22.sz.Irinyi utca, Kecskemét, 6000, Hungary

University of Debrecen, Department of Family and Occupational Medicine, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Introduction. Besides participation in the primary prevention, screening as secondary prevention is an important requirement for primary care services. The...

Published Online: Jun 09, 2015

Page range: 154 - 160

Received: Jul 07, 2014

Accepted: Jan 06, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjph-2015-0022

Keywords
cardiovascular screening, mortality, Hungary, managed care, primary health care

© National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Published Online: Jun 09, 2015

Page range: 154 - 160

Received: Jul 07, 2014

Accepted: Jan 06, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjph-2015-0022

Keywordscardiovascular screening, mortality, Hungary, managed care, primary health care

© National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
cardiovascular screening, mortality, Hungary, managed care, primary health care