User involvement in Slovenian healthcare
Journal of Health Organization and Management
ISSN: 1477-7266
Article publication date: 17 August 2015
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on current developments in user involvement in healthcare in Slovenia and to explore the issue from the macro-, mezzo- and micro-levels.
Design/methodology/approach
User involvement is first contextualised within history of the organisation of healthcare system, from its socialist past through to its post-transitional developments. Second, user involvement is tracked through an analysis of healthcare policies and legislation as well as at its institutional and organisational levels. Finally, user involvement practices are illustrated from the perspective of individual patients. A descriptive and exploratory case study design was employed, including a literature review, document analysis and qualitative thematic analysis of nine in-depth and four semi-structured interviews.
Findings
The findings reveal a complex and at times ambivalent picture in which user involvement is still not firmly embedded into the healthcare system, despite being generally accepted.
Originality/value
No systematic qualitative research of patient involvement in Slovenia has previously been published. This research will establish a basis for further investigations of the topic.
Keywords
Citation
Kavcic, M., Pahor, M. and Domajnko, B. (2015), "User involvement in Slovenian healthcare", Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol. 29 No. 5, pp. 595-610. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-06-2014-0095
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited