Clinical pathways in community care

Abstract

The essential principles of the Swedish health care structures are that the public sector is responsible for providing and financing health services for all citizens. Local health centers, which employ several categories of medical professionals, provide primary health and community care services. For patients requiring hospital treatment, medical services are available at county, regional and municipality levels. Since last decades the resources allocated to health care have been constantly reduced, a trend that is expected to continue along with the increased service costs. Initially, the discussion about medical services was restrained to structural matters. Examples of implemented changes are the closing of hospitals, separating of emergency care as well as caring responsibilities, supporting collaboration between and among various hospitals, and increasing cooperation between hospitals and other parts of the health care system. With the help of economic directives and mandatory referrals, patients are guided to primary and community based health care providers instead of the more expensive hospital care providers. This presentation introduces the students to the distinctive qualities of Swedish community care service organizations and the dilemmas and possibilities that follow.