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Objective: The aim of this paper is to trace evolution of mental health system in Poland. Method: Available Polish literature and fundamental policy documents including mental health legislation are reviewed and major milestones in this evolution identified and then discussed against the background of political and social developments. Results: The mental health system evolved since the beginning of the 1970s from large hospitals towards community-based care. It was found that the changes were rather slow due to financial shortages and lack of clear demand from users. Recent transitions offer opportunities to increase impact of users and their families. On the other hand, however, introduction of health insurance system reduces prospects for well co-ordinated mental health policy and may lead to inequalities in access to services. Conclusion: It can be concluded that evolution of mental health services has been influenced by prevailing ideologies as much as by technical and professional considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents current information on policy developments, service design, best practices, and approaches to empower the users of health and medical care services for people with intellectual disabilities in Poland. Polish regulations allow systemic support to be provided for all people with disabilities. However, Polish patients with intellectual disabilitiy (PwID) and their caregivers face many barriers. Although a key obstacle is the lack of a standard definition that approaches disability in an interdisciplinary way, PwID are also more likely to experience difficulties in personal communication in medical settings and less likely to encounter specialists prepared to work with this group. There is also a need to pay greater attention to the expectations of PwID. To facilitate a holistic approach to diagnosis and therapy, there needs to be coordination between different specialists, including medical staff, paramedics, psychologists, and teachers. Providing personal communication training for medical personnel, as well as developing dedicated procedures for PwID in primary health care, clinics and hospitals, will improve equal access to health and health literacy for all in Poland. Even so, it is important to respect the autonomy of PwID and the commitment of caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The development of a nursing practice, improvements in nurses’ autonomy, and increased professional and personal responsibility for the medical services provided all require professional documentation with records of health status assessments, decisions undertaken, actions and their outcomes for each patient. The International Classification for Nursing Practice is a tool that meets all of these needs, and although it requires continuous evaluation, it offers professional documentation and communication in the practitioner and researcher community. Aim: The aim of this paper is to present a theoretical critique of an issue related to policy and experience of the current situation in Polish nursing – especially of the efforts to standardize nursing practices through the introduction and development of the Classification in Poland. Discussion: Despite extensive promotion and training by International Council of Nurses members worldwide, there are still many countries where the Classification has not been implemented as a standard tool in healthcare facilities. Recently, a number of initiatives were undertaken in cooperation with the local and state authorities to disseminate the Classification in healthcare facilities. Conclusions: Thanks to intense efforts by the Polish Nurses Association and the International Council of Nurses Accredited Center for ICNP® Research & Development at the Medical University of Łódź, the Classification is known in Poland and has been tested at several centres. Nevertheless, an actual implementation that would allow for national and international interoperability requires strategic governmental decisions and close cooperation with information technology companies operating in the country. Implications for nursing & health policy: Discussing the barriers to the implementation of the Classification can improve understanding of it and its use. At a policy level, decision makers need to understand that use Classification in eHealth services and tools it is necessary to achieve interoperability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to accurately estimate influenza‐associated deaths in Poland and their certified cause of death, due to significant discrepancies between official numbers and expected impact. Methods: Excess influenza‐associated mortality in Poland from 2000 to 2019 was calculated using Seasonal‐Trend Decomposition Procedure based on LOESS (STL), which can detect non‐linear trends and non‐sinusoidal cycles. Excess mortality was then used as an explanatory variable in a model predicting monthly fluctuations of officially recorded causes of death from 2010 to 2019. Results: A total of 142,000 conservative estimates of influenza‐associated deaths were identified, representing 1.86% of overall mortality. Only 0.61% of influenza‐associated deaths were officially recorded as influenza. Nearly half of certified influenza deaths were attributed to the seasonal baseline mortality, potentially doubling estimated impact based solely on influenza peaks. Influenza‐associated deaths were frequently recorded as respiratory diseases (24.36%), with majority attributed to underlying conditions such as cardiovascular diseases (45.31%), cancer (9.06%), or diabetes (2.66%). Influenza‐associated deaths were more commonly certified as nervous system diseases (1.84%) or mental disorders (1.04%), rather than influenza itself. There was a noticeable impact of influenza on secondary infections, such as meningococcal and gastrointestinal infections. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of improved estimation for informing public health policy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Promoting a more patient-responsive service has been the focus of policy initiatives in newer EU states. One measure of success should be the patient’s assessment of their consultation with their doctor. Objectives To measure consultation quality in Polish primary care using patient enablement (a patient-driven instrument developed in the UK) and to test its theoretical framework. To compare the patient enablement outcome of different types of doctor delivering primary care in Poland following reform. Design Cross-sectional quantitative questionnaire survey. Setting Random sample of primary care doctors practising within a 60-km radius of Gdansk, Poland. Subjects and outcome measures Patient Enablement Instrument and correlates were measured in 7924 consecutive adult consultations of 48 doctors, stratified according to training: family medicine specialists (diploma holders), non-diplomates and general medicine doctors (polyclinic internists). Results Completion was high (78%). The mean patient enablement score in Poland was 4.0 (SD 3.3) and mean consultation length was 10.3 min (SD 5.4 min). Consultation length and knowing the doctor are independently related to patient enablement in the Polish context. Variation between doctors is significant, but earlier differences in enablement between alternative providers have largely been ameliorated in practice. Conclusion It is feasible to use patient enablement on a large scale at routine consultation in primary care in Poland: acceptability was good in diverse environments. The internal consistency of enablement and its relationships broadly mirror those found in the UK. The effect of patient expectations shaped by social and cultural issues influencing enablement outcome requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall of state socialism in Poland in 1989 constituted a critical moment that redefined policies regulating reproductive health and access to care. As the Polish state adopted the discourse and agenda of the Catholic Church in its health policies, reproduction and sexuality became sites of moral governance through the implementation of the Conscience Clause law, which permits healthcare providers to deny medical services citing conscience-based objections. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this article explores the effects of the implementation of the conscience clause and argues that the adoption of this law for individual use paved the way for restrictions on reproductive healthcare on a systemic scale. The special status afforded to the church is highly significant for access to health services deemed by the church to be matters of morality. The Polish case raises concerns about the place of women's rights in postsocialism and the nature of Polish democratization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]