Selected aspects of hospital financing during the 1st and 2nd waves of the COVID-19 pandemic

PURPOSE: The aim of this scientific study is to analyze selected rules governing the financing of hospitals. The studied period is the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aforementioned pandemic waves posed new challenges for hospitals in respect to patient treatment, which had to entail changes in the financing of such medical entities. The author discusses the financing of health services, costs generated by "hospital beds", and the costs of protection and treatment of the patients infected with Sars-CoV-2. One of the changes that has affected the whole system was the introduction of the "Medical Fund".METHODOLOGY: The article uses the following research methods: historical and legal – selected legal acts and communications issued by public administration bodies such as the Minister of Health and the President of the National Health Fund were analyzed, including their effect on public health institutions during the first two waves; dogmatic and legal – a systemic and linguistic interpretation of legal acts, reports and information found on websites was carried out.RESULTS: The research results allow for putting forward de lege ferenda conclusions which might be helpful if new epidemiological threats emerge in the future. To be more precise, it will be possible for public authorities to better prepare for crisis situations and ensure stable financing of hospitals.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The solutions regarding the financing of health services provided by hospitals adopted during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic exerted an influence on the evolution of financing medical services during the subsequent waves.ORIGINALITY: The article is original in its approach to the problem of financing hospitals taking into account the level of COVID protection. Determination of the importance of allocating funds to hospitals during the pandemic waves is an attempt to determine measurable effects for COVID-19 patients and patients not infected with the coronavirus. The article may provide an impetus for an international discussion on the principles governing the financing of medical entities such as hospitals in individual countries.The article has been written as part of the research project (DNWZ.711.291.2022.PBU) financed by the Pedagogical University of Cracow, Poland.peer-reviewe

The functioning of the Polish health care system during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the opinion of primary health care patients

PURPOSE: The aim of this scientific study is to analyze selected issues related to the functioning of Polish Primary Health Care units in the initial period of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The analysis focused on the access to health services provided by Primary Health Care doctors and quality of those services, as well as issues related to the so-called tele-advice. Changes introduced in this respect directly affected the provision of health services to patients in their place of residence. The surveys we conducted were aimed at identifying the problems encountered by patients of these health care units. The following research methods were used in the study: the historical-legal method – selected legal acts and communiques issued by public administration bodies during the initial period of the pandemic were analyzed; the dogmatic-legal method – a systematic and linguistic interpretation of legal acts, reports, and information on websites was carried out; the survey method – surveys conducted among patients of Primary Health Care.FINDINGS: The research results allow to draw de lege ferenda conclusions regarding the improvement of organizational functioning of Primary Health Care units. These conclusions will be helpful if new infectious diseases appear in the future. Making the rules for accessing Primary Health Care units more stable will enable public authorities to better prepare for potential crisis situations.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The conducted empirical research can be utilized by decisionmakers, individuals managing the Polish health care system, and those managing/running Primary Health Care facilities. The responses obtained from the respondents indicate the strengths and weaknesses in organizing the health care process in a non-standard situation, such as during a pandemic. With their help, it is possible to better organize the process of patient contact and treatment in a crisis situation, during so-called extraordinary states.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The article is an original analysis of patients' opinions on the access to health care services provided by Primary Health Care facilities. The results of empirical research conducted among representatives of Polish society may serve as a basis for making comparisons in this area with other countries. The article may provide an impetus for an international discussion on the scope and quality of services provided by such health care entities.peer-reviewe

Financial and organizational aspects of the functioning of primary health care during the COVID-19 pandemic

PURPOSE: The aim of this scientific study is to analyze selected issues related to the functioning and financing of Polish Primary Health Care units in the initial period of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The following research methods were used, the historicallegal method – selected legal acts and communiques issued by public administration bodies during the initial period of the pandemic, the dogmatic-legal method – a systematic and linguistic interpretation of legal acts, reports, and information on websites was carried out.FINDINGS: The research results allow to draw de lege ferenda conclusions regarding the improvement of organizational functioning of Primary Health Care units. These conclusions will be helpful if new infectious diseases appear in the future. Making the rules for financing Primary Health Care units more stable will enable public authorities to better prepare for potential crisis situations.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Solutions regarding the financing of healthcare services provided by Polish Primary Health Care facilities in the initial phase of the pandemic had a fundamental impact on the evolution of financing these medical entities in the subsequent stages of combating the pandemic and after its end.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The article is an original analysis of actions aimed at solving the organizational and financial problems of Primary Health Care units. The article may provide an impetus for an international discussion on the organization and financing of such health care entities.peer-reviewe

The falsified medicines directive and legal guarantees to ensure authenticity of medicines. The impact of drug serialization on medicine safety in the EU

The aim of this study is to present the impact of the new legal solutions introduced in the so-called Falsified Medicines Directive on medicine safety in the EU. For the purposes of this study, it was necessary to analyze and interpret the provisions of the said Directive and the Delegated Regulation. The guarantees of medicine authenticity, such as a code to be scanned and placed on the medicine packaging (serialization) have been discussed in the paper. These activities are aimed at reducing the market of counterfeit medicines across the EU. The research tool used in the study was the dogmatic and legal method, which made it possible to conclude, that the provisions of the Falsified Medicines Directive increase the guarantee of drug safety. Considering the fact that these regulations are apolitical, one can assume that they will be implemented in other legal systems

Wybrane aspekty zwalczania chorób zakaźnych zwierząt na wybranym przykładzie

This article undertakes an analysis of preventative problems faced by national authorities when dealing with infectious animal diseases. This examination is based on the example of the pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as ‘bird flu’. Its incidence is comparatively varied among the EU member states; a result of a number of factors which influence the occurrence and spread of said virus, including, but not limited to, climate, species of domesticated fowl on farms, veterinarian practices, and the general movements of birds in a given area. These factors affect the occurrence of said disease in a majority of European states, as observed in the relatively rapid spread of the disease between countries. The objective of the article is to answer the questions of how Poland’s current regulations work practically in combating the considered disease, and whether these current regulations are sufficient. The analysis uses the dogmatic method focusing on the general, effective regulations and local laws. The examination ends with closing remarks.Artykuł podejmuje próbę analizy problematyki zapobiegania przez właściwe organy państwa rozpowszechnianiu się chorób zakaźnych zwierząt. Zagadnienie to zostanie przedstawione na przykładzie wirusa zjadliwej grypy ptaków. Zapadalność na nią jest stosunkowo zróżnicowana w poszczególnych państwach unijnych, co wynika z określonych czynników, które wpływają na powstanie czy też rozwój samego wirusa. Do nich można zaliczyć między innymi: klimat, gatunek ptactwa hodowanego w gospodarstwach rolnych, praktyki weterynaryjne oraz przemieszczanie się samych ptaków na określonym obszarze. Wspomniane czynniki wpłynęły na wystąpienie tej choroby w dużej liczbie państw europejskich. Jak można zauważyć, choroba ta szerzyła się stosunkowo szybko pomiędzy poszczególnymi państwami. Celem artykułu jest próba odpowiedzi na pytanie, jak regulacje prawne w praktyce przyczyniają się do zwalczania wspomnianej choroby oraz czy istniejące rozwiązania prawne są wystarczające. W artykule zastosowano metodę dogmatyczną polegającą na analizie przepisów powszechnie obowiązujących oraz prawa miejscowego. Całość zamykają wnioski końcowe

Several issues on the functioning of the Wladyslawowo harbour

Artykuł porusza problematykę funkcjonowania portu rybackiego we Władysławowie. Materia ta została omówiona poprzez przedstawienie rysu historycznego powstania tej jednostki organizacyjnej, jej wpływu na lokalne środowisko rybaków i podjęcie ostatecznych działań związanych z budową portu. Dla uformowania się portu we współczesnym kształcie duże znaczenie miały przekształcenia struktury organizacyjnej przeprowadzone w latach 1950- 1990. Wspomniane zmiany administracyjne miały wpływ na zakres prowadzonej działalności i formy współpracy z lokalnym środowiskiem rybackim. Wszystkie te elementy stały się szczególnie ważne w okresie komunalizacji portów i działań związanych ze zmianami strukturalnymi portów rybackich w Polsce.The article discusses the functioning of the fishing harbour in Władysławowo. It presents brief history of the harbour, including the influence local fishermen community had on its foundation. The harbour as it is today has been shaped by the transformations of its organizational structure undertaken between 1950 and 1990. The aforementioned administrative changes exerted influence on the scope of the harbour’s activities and forms of cooperation with local fishermen community. All these elements played an important part during communalization of harbours and other processes concerning structural transformations of fishing harbours in Poland

Genesis, structure and chosen tasks of the Chief Sanitary Inspector.

Główny Inspektor Sanitarny jest współcześnie organem funkcjonującym w zakresie bezpieczeństwa zdrowotnego i żywnościowego ludności. Początków struktur centralnych administracji, których głównym zadaniem było podniesienie jakości zdrowia publicznego, można się doszukiwać już w XX-leciu międzywojennym. Po roku 1945 podejmowano działania mające na celu poprawę stanu sanitarnego i epidemiologicznego kraju, stąd też podmioty realizujące zadania w tej sferze przechodziły ewolucję. Aktualnie sprawowanie bieżącego nadzoru sanitarnego polega na kontrolowaniu przestrzegania przepisów określających wymagania higieniczne i zdrowotne, obejmując w szczególności: wodę do spożycia, czystość powietrza atmosferycznego, gleby, stan higieniczny nieruchomości, zakładów pracy, instytucji, obiektów i urządzeń użyteczności publicznej oraz osobowego i towarowego transportu kolejowego, drogowego, lotniczego i morskiego. Trudno sobie dziś wyobrazić bezpieczeństwo zdrowotne obywateli bez tego organu.Chief Sanitary Inspector is today an organ dealing with public health and food safety issues. The origins of the organ trace back to the interwar period when first attempts were made to improve the quality of public health. After 1945, further steps were taken to ameliorate sanitary conditions and to cope with epidemiologic problems, chich resulted In the evolution of the institutions In charge. Currently, ongoing sanitary supervision consists in controlling the application and compliance of law regulating health and hygiene requirements concerning especially water, air and soil cleanliness, as well as hygienic conditions In buildings, working places, institutions, public utility facilities, and means of conveyance, including transport by rail, road, air and sea. Today, it is difficult to imagine public health safety without Chief Sanitary Inspector