Innovations in primary healthcare in Slovenia 2011–2020

Exploring the stepwise process behind effective implementation

Bibliographic Data

ID21467890
AuthorsKatherine Polin (0000-0003-4619-8641, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, corresponding author), Giada Scarpetti (0000-0003-1243-196X, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies), Pia Vracko (0000-0001-9476-9918, National Institute of Public Health)
Year2025
Volume152
Pages105224
Publication date2025-02-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0168-8510 • E-ISSN: 1872-6054
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.105224
PMID39778444
OpenAlexW4405386973
LanguageEN
References cited12

Slovenia has a historical commitment to person-centred, community-oriented, multidisciplinary PHC. • A stepwise approach guides the sustainable implementation of PHC innovations in Slovenia. • Continuous adaptation during rollout requires national coordination of PHC innovations. • Collaboration between PHC and public health is key to successful innovation rollout. • Slovenia's PHC model and implementation approach can inspire countries looking to innovate their PHC. Countries worldwide seek to strengthen their primary healthcare systems often through introducing health promotion and disease prevention, multidisciplinary teams, group practices and community approaches to advance universal health coverage. These strategies are underpinned by scientific evidence and international standards. Slovenia's primary healthcare system reflects many of these features, with universally accessible, multidisciplinary, and integrated health services, emphasizing health promotion, disease prevention, and equity. Municipal primary healthcare centres serve as hubs within local communities. Slovenia's efforts to strengthen the delivery model are continuous and follow a controlled stepwise implementation process. This approach has strong policy support and organizational and implementation capacities. This paper describes Slovenia's primary healthcare model and three innovations between 2011 and 2020: (1) family medicine model practices, (2) health promotion centres, and (3) mental health centres. These innovations are used both to showcase the efforts of Slovenia to enhance primary healthcare and as a lens to explore Slovenia's established primary healthcare innovation implementation approach. The three innovations have had a positive impact on health outcomes in the short- to medium-term, but mixed health system and implementation outcomes. Slovenia's experience can inspire other countries looking to sustainably integrate primary healthcare fully or effectively introduce single innovations in their primary healthcare systems

Business · Economic growth · Economics · Family medicine · Health care · Primary care · Primary health care · Process management · Computer Science · Global Health Care Issues · Healthcare Policy and Management · Medicine · Primary Care and Health Outcomes

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access