Primary care principles and community health centers in the countries of former Yugoslavia

Background: Many countries implement primary health care (PHC) principles in their policies. The community-oriented health center (COHC) has often been identified as an appropriate organizational model for implementing these ideas. The countries of former Yugoslavia have a long tradition of health centers which have been part of their official policies, but they face the challenge of reforming their health care systems. The aim of the study was to describe the extent of the principles of primary care in these countries and the new role of medical centers. Methods: This qualitative study was carried out between 2010 and 2011. A questionnaire was sent to two key informants from each of the six former Yugoslavian countries. The set of questions encompassed the following categories: organization and financing, accessibility, patient/community involvement, quality control and academic position of primary care. Results: Primary care is officially declared as a priority and health centers are still formally responsible for implementing primary care. Different organizational approaches to primary care were reported: predominant independent practices, health centers as an exclusive form and forms health centers and independent practices coexist. We could not find a unique pattern of covering primary care principles in different organizations. Conclusion: Formally, health centers still play an important role in the countries of former Yugoslavia, but major differences between PHC policies and their implementation have appeared. A consensus about an appropriate delivery of medical care to cover the primary care principles no longer exists. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.