INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ON ADHERENCE OF PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES IN A PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SETTING IN WESTERN BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA

Diabetes mellitus, including type 2 diabetes, is a global health issue with less than 50% of individuals achieving optimal glycemic control. A study at Health Center Krupa na Uni, Republic Srpska, assessed adherence in 159 adults with type 2 diabetes, during the study conducted during 2019-2020. The research used a general and specific questionnaire The Adherence in Chronic Diseases Scale. Findings showed 72.9% had moderate adherence, 16.4% had low adherence, and only 10.7% had high adherence. The female gender predicted higher adherence (p=0.048). The type of oral hypoglycemic agents (p=0.520) was not associated with adherence. Older age (p=0.316) and lower education level (p=0.182) were associated with lower adherence, but not significantly. Age over 60 years and level of education had no significant effects on adherence. Although there was no statistical significance, employed respondents (p=0.076) and those living in rural areas had a higher level of adherence (p=0.064). Some respondents took medications based on their physical needs and beliefs, indicating the need to address beliefs and behaviors influencing adherence. Poor adherence remains a significant issue, and addressing adherence barriers, particularly those related to gender, can improve health outcomes for individuals with type 2 diabetes. Ongoing research and interventions are crucial to improve adherence rates and health outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes

Establishing a system for intellectual capital measuring and reporting

The strategy of modern companies is shifting from the competitive positioning of the industrial structure to the business processes and internal factors that are specific to the company itself, such as different training and knowledge of employees, business culture, know-how, innovation learning skills, organizational climate, administrative skills, reputation. Unlike the previous period, in which the creation of values was directly dependent on the financial and available quantity of physical assets, while now in the era of knowledge, the emphasis is on the quality of knowledge and skills that will be incorporated into the final effects. This paper highlights the importance of intellectual capital for the company in contemporary conditions, its structure, its measurement. The focus is on processes and a model is shown -indicating the steps to be taken during the measurement of intellectual capital. A model of reporting on intellectual capital was also proposed

COULD IT BE BEHÇET'S DISEASE? PHYSICIANS IN PRIMARY HEALTHCARE ARE THE FIRST TO RESPOND

Behçet's disease is a chronic relapsing vasculitis with complex immunopathogenesis that can affect multiple organs, although mucocutaneous lesions are predominantly observed. Diagnosis of Behçet's disease is challenging and relies on clinical manifestations as no specific laboratory test is available. A positive Pathergy test should raise suspicion of Behçet's disease. The authors present a clinical case of a 22-year-old woman who presented with intermittent fever, weight loss, odynophagia, dysphagia, left knee arthritis, and multiple painful oral-genital aphthosis. The patient received treatment with benzydamine hydrochloride mouthwash, lidocaine on ulcers, antibiotics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but the healing process was slow, and a new disease attack occurred two months later. The Pathergy test was performed and found to be positive, prompting consultation with an immunologist and gynecologist. The patient was administered Colchicine (1.5 mg/day), which resulted in decreased symptoms, albeit with a slow healing process. During the 6-month follow-up period, the disease attack was followed by a period of remission. The evidence base for the treatment of Behçet's disease is limited, and current options include symptomatic, non-biological, and biological immunosuppressive drugs to reduce clinical manifestations. A thorough evaluation and education in primary healthcare settings are crucial to facilitate timely multidisciplinary referrals for effective management of Behçet's disease

Cash flow statement and financial decision-making in insurance companies

Cash management is of great importance for the successful operation of insurance companies, and the amount of cash is affected by many management decisions. Often you might encounter in the financial papers and textbooks the assertion that cash is the 'bloodstream' of business. In this respect, it is emphasized that it is important for the accountants to provide timely information on cash flows. The report that is especially important for financial decision-making is the statement of cash flows, if one bears in mind that insurance companies take risks in dealing with intangible products, and therefore need to be sufficiently liquid and solvent to pay the obligations that are arising from claims at the time of the accident or the occurrence of hazards

Analysis of the efficiency of insurance companies in Serbia using the fuzzy AHP and TOPSIS methods

The aim of this study is to propose a fuzzy multi-criteria model that will facilitate the assessment of insurance companies’ efficiency. This study includes all companies operating within the insurance sector in Serbia in the period from 2007 to 2014 and the data were used from the published financial statements of insurance companies. Five key indicators were identified for the assessment and rating of insurance companies. Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) were used for building the proposed model. In the first stage, priority weights of criteria were defined by using the FAHP, while in the second phase the insurance companies were ranked using the TOPSIS method

Frequency of depression in patients affected by subclinical and clinical hypothyroidism: A cross-section study

Introduction. Hypothyroidism can be accompanied by various neuropsychiatric manifestations ranging from mild depression and anxiety to psychosis. Objective. The study aimed to determine the presence of depression in patients with hypothyroidism (clinical and subclinical). Methods. The survey was conducted over twenty-four months, from 01. 07. 2017. to 01. 07. 2019., at the Health Center Krupa na Uni. The cross-sectional study included 160 persons, two groups of 80 persons each. The first group included those with newly diagnosed hypothyroidism, while the control group consisted of people with neat, thyroid function. In addition to the general questionnaire, the study used Beck's Depression Inventory and laboratory analyzes (enzymatic assays to determine thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroxine). The chi-square test was used in the statistical analysis. Results. The first group consisted of 62 (38.7%) subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism and 18 (11.3%) with clinical hypothyroidism, 51 (63.7%) women and 29 (36.3%) men with a mean age of 52±6.9 years. The control group consisted of 42 (52.5%) women and 38 (47.5%) men, with a mean age of 51±4.3 years. Mild depression was verified in 50 (31.2%), moderately severe in 43 (26.9%), and severe depression in 3 (1.9%). The study found the existence of statistically significantly moderate-severe depression in participants with subclinical hypothyroidism (p<0.05). Conclusion. The results of our study indicate a statistically significantly presence of moderately severe depression in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. Early detection and adequate therapeutic intervention of thyroid gland disorders in patients with depression. Our findings favor the need for early and routine screening for hypothyroidism and depression

The quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients under conservative treatment

Background/Aim. The quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients conditioned by their health status is a result of both their subjective perception of the disease and their objective health status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients under conservative treatment by means of generic and another lumbar syndrome specific questionnaires. Methods. A total of 50 patients (33 males, 17 females average age 46.1 years,) under conservative treatment in a hospital over four weeks were included in the study. They were interviewed using two questionnaires: the SF36 (Short form (36) Health Survey) generic questionnaire measuring eight domains of their quality of life summarized into two main ones (i.e. overall physical and overall mental health), and the lumbar syndrome specific North American Spine Society - Low Back Pain Outcome Instrument (NASS LBP), a questionnaire measuring four domains (functional limitations, motor and sensitive neurological symptoms, expectations from the treatment and satisfaction with it). Results. The values of physical health domain was low as 31.1 at the beginning of the treatment, were rising over the following six months and dropped insignificantly after four years (42.1/48.7 /47.0) The mental health values (47.2) did not alter as compared to that of the general population. A values of the quality of life stabilized within six months. The neurological symptoms domain did not correlate with other value scales and domains. Conclusion. The quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients was impaired only from its physical aspect, but after conservative treatment it improved over the following six months. After four years there is an insignificant drop of all quality of life values, indicating a need for a longer term monitoring of there patients

Bankruptcy forecasting of hotel companies in the Republic of Serbia using Altman's Z-score model

Monitoring the financial health of a company to prevent bankruptcy is not only a matter of interest to owners, management and creditors as previously thought, but also a subject of interest to the wider community due to the consequences that bankruptcy may cause. There are numerous models for predicting bankruptcy, but one of the most commonly used is Altman's Z-score model. Over time, the model has been modified so that from its initial form that was intended solely for one enterprise model, today we have a model that can be applied to manufacturing, service, public and private enterprises, as well as to businesses operating in developing markets. The paper uses Altman's Z-score model for companies operating in developing markets to assess the financial health, that is, the possibility of bankruptcy in a sample of 7 hotel companies listed on the Belgrade Stock Exchange.Publishe

Fiscal Decentralization – City of Belgrade Case Study

The research in this paper is devoted to analysis of budget items for the city of Belgrade, to revenues and earnings, expenses and issuance for 2013, 2014 and 2015 in order to determine changes in the structure and in time, and, based on these, the appropriate conclusions were drawn, which can serve as recommendations for creating budgets in the future. One of the key problems in public procurement at the City of Belgrade level were significant differences in prices for the same items procured by different contracting authorities. In many cases the same bidder offered the very same items at prices which differed up to 50% to different contracting authorities at the city level. That was a signal for the city administration to centralize the procurement of certain items in 2015 achieving significant reduction in prices of bundled procurement compared to the ones undertaken by different contracting authorities previously. In this context, the subject of the second part of this paper will be devoted to the importance of centralization of public procurements in the segment where it is possible to achieve efficiency in the management of budget funds

The Role of Accounting Forensics in Criminal Proceedings

Nedostatak kvalitetne forenzičke analize finansijskih izveštaja i evidencija, kao rezultat nedostatka forenzičkih računovodstvenih stručnjaka i okvira za implementaciju, predstavlja realan problem u suprotstavljanju finansijskom kriminalu. Forenzičko računovodstvo može poslužiti kao potencijalno sredstvo za suzbijanje finansijskog kriminala i za identifikaciju i praćenje slučajeva finansijskog kriminala. U krivičnim postupcima računovodstveni forenzičar može imati različite uloge, počev od finansijskog forenzičara, veštaka, svedoka i stručnog savetnika. Cilj ovog rada je ukazivanje na značajnu ulogu računovodstvenog forenzičara u krivičnom postupku