Competition Measurement of Hospitals in Poland: the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index Approach

The purpose of this study was to measure the competition level of general hospitals in Poland. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) was used to investigate the concentration level of the general hospital sector in Poland, which is treated in the literature as a proxy of competition. To understand how general hospitals’ market has been structured and thus competitive, the data for general hospitals spanning all Poland for the period of 2005-2013 were collected. The concentration of hospitals was measured in each of the 16 provinces in Poland based on the aggregated data at the counties level. Data are collected from the public statistical system. The HHI indices support the assertion that in the period of analysis the entire general hospitals’ sector in Poland has been on average moderately concentrated and thus, moderately competitive with the growing tendency to higher concentration and less competition. Moreover, the concentration of hospitals’ services is diversified across the provinces and regions of Poland and it is quite uneven. The analysis also shows that changes in the health care market, which took place in the analysed period, especially statutory changes regarding hospitals in 2011, affected the level of concentration and thus competition. Including this introduction, this paper is organized into six sections. Section 2 outlines the Polish health care reforms especially those applying to hospitals. Section 3 and 4 presents the concept of empirical research, such as data and method. Section 5 provides results of empirical research and section 6 concludes

Ocena efektywności systemów ochrony zdrowia w wybranych krajach Unii Europejskiej z wykorzystaniem podejścia nieparametrycznego

The purpose of this article is assessment of the health care system efficiency in the European Union. To estimate the efficiency the Data Envelopment Analysis method was used. Data was collected from OECD data base and the period of 1998 – 2005 was finally analyzed. The research covers 18 health care systems in EU. The results show the average efficiency of analyzed health care systems increased and the average efficiency of the Polish health care system seems to be closed to the average efficiency of analyzed health care systems. Moreover, insurance type of health care systems are more efficient than national health service type of health care systems

Evaluation of effectiveness of a toothpaste containing tea tree oil and ethanolic extract of propolis on the improvement of oral health in patients using removable partial dentures

The aimof this studywas to evaluate the effect of toothpaste containing natural tea tree essential oil (TTO) and ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP), onmicroflora and selected indicators of oral health in patients using removable acrylic partial dentures. Fifty patients with varying conditions of hygiene were divided into two groups. The study group received the toothpaste with TTO and EEP, while the control group received the same toothpaste but without TTO and EEP. At the first visit, oral hygiene and hygiene of the prostheses were carried out. Control visits took place 7 and 28 days later and compared to baseline. Indexes like API (Approximal Plaque Index),mSBI (modified Sulcus Bleeding Index), OHI-s (simplified Oral Hygiene Index), and DPI (Denture Plaque Index) were assessed in three subsequent stages, and swabs were collected fromfloor of themouth area to assess themicrobiota. After 7 and 28 days of using the toothpaste with TTO and EEP, a statistically significant decrease of the examined indicator values were observed in the study group as compared to the values upon the initial visit. The number of isolated strains ofmicroorganisms in the study group was decreased ormaintained at the same level, whereas in the control group an increase in the number of isolated strains was observed. The observed stabilization of oralmicrobiota in patients fromthe study group confirms the beneficial activity of toothpaste containing EEP and TTO compared to the control group

Oral Health of Patients Treated with Acrylic Partial Dentures Using a Toothpaste Containing Bee Product

This study was carried out to investigate the influence of a propolis and tee tree oil-containing hygienic agent on selected oral health parameters, oral microflora, and the condition of periodontal health. Thirty-seven patients who underwent oral rehabilitation with a removable acrylic denture were selected and randomly assigned into two groups: study group (A) which received a newly formulated propolis and tee tree oil-containing toothpaste or a control group (C) without an active ingredient. API, S-OHI, and mSBI were assessed in three subsequent stages. During each examination swabs were employed for microbiological inoculation: in the study group after 4 weeks use of the active toothpaste showed a decrease in the number of isolated microorganisms. In the control group, after 4 weeks use of the toothpaste without active ingredients resulted in increase in the number of the isolated microorganisms. Improvements in hygiene and the condition of periodontium were observed in patients using active toothpastes. In the study group the oral flora diversity was reduced by the decrease in the number of cultured microorganism species, while in the control group an increase in the number of cultured microorganisms and their species was observed

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts. June 4-7, 2019, Szczyrk, Polan

Избранные типы поведения потребителей на рынке кофе из торговых автоматов

Obecnie można zaobserwować trendy związane z orientacją klienta na szybkie, wygodne i łatwe zaspokajanie potrzeb żywieniowych. Urządzenia do sprzedaży samoobsługowej − aparaty vendingowe − stanowią przykład rozwiązania zorientowanego na powyższe potrzeby konsumentów. Asortyment produktów sprzedawanych w automatach może być bardzo zróżnicowany. Najczęściej jednak są to: napoje gorące, napoje gazowane, słodycze i słone przekąski. Celem pracy było poznanie wybranych aspektów zachowań konsumentów spożywających kawę z automatów vendingowych. Wyniki przeprowadzonych badań wskazują na wyraźne trendy dotyczące akceptacji tej formy sprzedaży bezpośredniej kawy. Nabywcy sięgają najczęściej po napoje łatwo dostępne (lokalizacja), biorąc pod uwagę cenę produktu, nie przywiązując uwagi do marki produktu. Najczęściej wybierają produkt z dodatkiem mleka i cukru, oczekując pozbycia się uczucia senności i ogólnego pobudzenia organizmu. Wyniki uzyskanych badań stanowią użyteczne informacje dla właścicieli automatów vendingowych w aspekcie zachowań konsumentów kawy. Artykuł ma charakter badawczy.Currently, trends can be observed in customer orientation for fast, comfortable and easy to meet nutritional needs. Devices for self-service sale, vending machines, are an example of solution-oriented needs of those consumers. The range of products sold in vending machines can be very diverse. Most of the products are: hot drinks, soft drinks, sweets, and salty snacks. The aim of the study was to investigate some aspects of the behaviour of consumers who consume coffee from vending machines. Results of this study indicate a clear trend for the acceptance of this form of direct sales of coffee. The buyers usually reach for readily available drinks (location), taking into account the price of the product; however, not paying attention to the brand of the product. Consumers usually choose products with the addition of milk and sugar, expecting to get rid of the feelings of sleepiness and to get general stimulation of the body. The results of the study are useful information for owners of vending machines, in terms of consumption of coffee.В настоящее время можно наблюдать тренды, связанные с установкой клиента на быстрое, удобное и простое удовлетворение потребностей в питании. Оборудование для продажи по методу самообслуживания, торговые автоматы – пример решения, направленного на вышеуказанные потребности потребителей. Ассортимент продуктов, продаваемых в автоматах, может быть весьма дифференцированным. Тем не менее чаще всего это горячие напитки, газированные напитки, сласти и соленые перекуски. Цель работы – узнать избранные аспекты поведения потребителей, потребляющих кофе из торговых автоматов. Результаты проведенного изучения указывают на четко выраженные тенденции, касающиеся одобрения этой формы непосредственной продажи кофе. Покупатели чаще всего обращаются к легко доступным (локализация) напиткам, учитывая цену продукта, не обращая же внимания на марку продукта. Чаще всего они выбирают продукт с добавлением молока и сахара, ожидая от него устранения чувства сонности и общего повышения тонуса. Результаты изучения – полезная информация для владельцев торговых автоматов в аспекте поведения потребителей кофе. Статья имеет исследовательский характер