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After the launching of the health reform in the sphere of primary medical aid and a comparatively successful 20-years' accomplishment, a need has arisen for an update of the medical standards ratifying the activity of the general medical practice (2011). The study of the work of the general practitioner in an ergonomic aspect requires the construction of a reliable complex of methodological studies providing a realistic assessment of the organization of the working process and of basic psycho-physical functions in the daily and weekly dynamics, carried out on the background of a dominant attachment of the physician to the chosen area of expertise. The basic approaches for determination of the structure and expenses of the working time, or the efficiency coefficient (EC) respectively and intensity of labour involve the photochronometric- and the method of linear timing (also tracing the synchronization of the activity of the medical team); the spatial timing measuring the working trajectories, evidencing the degree of provision of functional working equipment and the objective conditions of labour. Sociological studies provide data on the style of communication with the patient and the occurrence of dilemmas of bioethical nature, as well as the strategies for their overcoming; sanitary and hygienic conditions of the working environment and their observation in accordance with the required criteria and indicators. The methodologies enable objective assessment of the workload and structure of the physician's working time and the resulting fatigue. Preconditions are created for the implementation of optimal organizational and technological operations in the provision of medical services, aiming to increase in the efficiency of the working process, and establishment of a physiological regime of labour in the general medical practice within the framework of the effective legislation.

A brief historical-analytical review of the origin, essence, and development of empathy has been made. The theoretical measurements in the study of the empathic ability are subject to special attention. On the basis of topical definitions of the concept, the application of the approach in different spheres of life, and more specifically in medical practice, has been discussed. The types of communicative behavior in primary medical practice have been differentiated. A theoretical, applied method of communication intervention within the framework of operationalization and scaling of the empathic interaction is proposed. On the basis of the assumption of a genetically determined property of co-experience, the preconditions for the establishment of optimal interpersonal context upon exchange of information between the physician and the patient and making medical decisions have been outlined. Led by the so systematized and analyzed models and considering the specification of the transformed and activated empathic resources in cases of terminal conditions, an attempt has been made for the presentation of an extensive type of empathic interaction, applied in palliative medicine. The outlining of key messages in cases of terminal conditions in the specified model is complex and at the same time an open, dynamic process, requiring adaptation and enrichment with parameters of religious, ethnical and social nature, and other factors of psychological, spiritual and bio-ethical type in the complex interactive space of palliative medicine.

Background: The increasing use of mobile phones has offered an opportunity to improve the quality of health services, secure the accessibility of healthcare systems for a larger population and support patients in effective management of their health/chronic conditions. Main Goal: The primary focus of the study in hand is to explore the different attitudes towards the use of mHealth in Bulgaria and to examine the extensive use of mobile health applications for the supervision, prevention and containment of various socially relevant diseases, including the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Materials and methods: An online survey was conducted in the period between July 2019 and February 2020. Amongst the 976 people that were interviewed, 591 (60.6%) were females and 385 (39.4%) were males. The mean age of the respondents was 43.25 ± 0.755. A unique questionnaire was prepared for the collection of information regarding the usage of mobile health applications. Statistical analyses were carried out with the help of IBM SPSS Statistics, version 23. MS Excel 2016 was used for the graphical representation of the results. Results: 89% of the participants possessed a mobile phone and an approximate 84% of them used mHealth applications. Besides this, the results suggested a considerable statistical difference in the respondents’ attitudes, in terms of their gender, where the deviation was in favour of female respondents. Additionally, findings revealed another statistical difference on the basis of their age and level of education. Furthermore, a huge majority claimed that they generally used these types of applications for monitoring their blood pressure or pulse. Conclusion: The outcome of the study was that a significant number of respondents were already using or tended to use smartphones and various applications, including health ones. We expect that the results of this study will provide evidence of the essentiality of mobile health applications to be developed in Bulgaria. This is crucial for patients as this technology has the potential to open up several new possibilities for treatments and observations of diverse socially significant diseases.

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