Качество и доступность первичной медицинской помощи в Латвии. Исследование QUALICOPC

The aim of this study was to analyze the quality of primary care in Latvia. We took into account the main principles of family medicine - continuity, coordination, community orientation, and comprehensiveness of care. Objectives. Analyze access to Latvian General Practitioner services and patient satisfaction with the work of General Practitioner practices. Subject and methods. Data were collected as a part of a larger international study entitled Quality and Costs of Primary Care in Europe (QUALICOPC) that took place in 2012 and 2013. A cross-sectional survey of 1,937 patients who had just visited general practitioners in 218 family doctor practices was done. We used random sampling of GP practices in Latvia. Results. Most Highly Rated Latvian Patient Values. Patients of 218 physicians across Latvia completed the patient value scale indicating his/her perceived importance of primary care aspects before, during and after consultation with their family doctor. This first section highlights the aspects of primary care that patients most frequently rated as being very important to them. Patient Values and Experiences in Four Dimensions of Primary Care. The second results section of this report summarizes patient experience responses with a particular focus on those aspects of primary care rated as most important to patient respondents. Conclusion. By analyzing the data obtained, we can conclude that the organization and accessibility of most general practices in Latvian are in compliance of the principles outlined in the World Health Organization (WHO) and in accordance with Latvian laws and regulations. Key message: The organization of general practices and their accessibility in Latvia is ensured. There are separate GP practices where performance indicators should be improved, regarding the principles of work organization in order to improve accessibility ratios, improved communication with patients. These are the basic principles of family medicine.