AbstractBackgroundThis study analyses the degree of patient satisfaction regarding the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) by taking into account the waiting time which is considered to be associated with the success of the EMS organizational model.MethodologyBetween 1 Jan 2016 and 31 March 2016 a cross-sectional research study among visitors of the EMS clinics in the EMS of the Primary Health Services of Gorenjska was performed. The EUROPEP survey was used for rating the degree of patient satisfaction. Statistical methods were utilized to determine the differences among the studied variables, namely the t test, one way ANOVA, as well as post-hoc multiple comparisons, were used.ResultsNearly all questions associated with the patient survey scored higher than 4.0, indicating patients were generally very satisfied with EMS treatment. Patients were least satisfied with the length of time spent waiting for an examination. The results showed that the waiting time is a statistically significant factor concerning all four dimensions of patient satisfaction: medical staff, clinical facilities, clinical equipment and organization of services (p < 0.05).ConclusionsResearch results have confirmed that the effectiveness of the EMS organizational model impacts on the degree of patient satisfaction. The research also revealed a deficiency in the current EMS organizational services at the prehospital level, given that triage frequently failed to be carried out upon a patient’s arrival at the EMS clinics.

Background and Purpose:The modern environment requires that organizations (profit and non-profit) continually harmonize their organizational models with changes in their respective environments and with their own visions and strategies for further development. The organizational structure of Emergency Medical Services (hereinafter EMS) is currently a very topical issue in Slovenia, given that a project to establish a new organization of EMS is currently underway at the national level. By examining the case of one region in Slovenia, this article presents an analysis of factors that impact on the number and types of EMS activities and depicts a forecast of future trends for the requirement of EMS. The analysis presents the initial phase of a strategic planning process for the mentioned activity and consequently, a starting point for the formation of an organizational EMS model. Methodology: This article presents an analysis of factors that impact on the formulation of an EMS model on the basis of research carried out for one geographical region of Slovenia. For the previous period, data was collected from 2002 to 2014. The software tool used for the analysis was STATA 13.0. For the purpose of forecasting a five-year period trend we used statistical package RStudio and Hyndman´s Forecast package given that this package contains algorithms for forecasting univariate time series including exponential smoothing using automated spatial models and ARIMA modelling. Results: The research has confirmed a correlation between social/environmental factors and the rate of increase in the demand for EMS. A population´s age structure has been identified as the key social factor that increases the need for EMS. On the basis of this finding, this article presents a model for forecasting growth trends in the scope of EMS activities. Conclusion:The research study has identified some important elements that are imperative to take into consideration when formulating an EMS network at the prehospital level. Population ageing has emerged as a key social factor. In the accordance with forecasted trends, an increase in the burden placed on EMS activities may also be anticipated in the future.

Obremenjen zrak povzroča precej škodljivih vplivov na zdravje in je po ugotovitvah Svetovne zdravstvene organizacije tudi krivec za veliko število prezgodnjih smrti. Med različnimi vrstami polutantov so problematični predvsem trdni delci PM 2,5. Njihove povišane koncentracije so še posebno nevarne za razvoj srčno-žilnih obolenj in povečane smrtnosti zaradi tovrstnih obolenj. V prispevku je najprej podan pregled študij vpliva kratkotrajne izpostavljenosti zvišanim koncentracijam trdnih delcev na pojav srčno-žilnih zapletov ter smrtnost kot tudi bioloških mehanizmov, preko katerih ti škodljivi učinki potekajo. Temu sledi prikaz učinka dolgotrajne izpostavljenosti trdnim delcem na smrtnost, kjer je bilo sicer izvedeno precej manjše število raziskav. Na koncu prispevka so predstavljene tudi ugotovitve zanimive raziskave vplivov koncentracij PM 2,5 delcev na smrtnost v krajih s prekomerno obremenjenim zrakom, ki so jo izvedli v Sloveniji.

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