The current availability of neurological in-patient services in post-communist Central and Eastern European countries
Abstrakt
Limited information can be obtained as to the availability of neurological in-patient services in the former communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe. The objective was to analyse data received directly from representatives of the particular countries.
Methods: The data were collected under the auspices of the 'First European Cooperation Neurology Workshop' held in April 2000, in Trest, Czech Republic. Neurologists from 15 post-communist countries provided information from their respective countries.
Linear trends in graphs including the reliability value R-2 were used in the analysis of correlations. Results: Data from 14 countries were assembled and trends were analysed.
Conclusions: Direct relationships were found between: (1) the average department size and the average catchment area (R-2 = 0.1015); (2) the percentage of districts with a neurological in-patient department and the gross national product (GNP) per capita (R-2 = 0.1359); (3) the average neurological department size and the GNP per capita (R-2 = 0.1135), and (4) the average length of treatment and the number of neurological beds/100,000 inhabitants (R-2 = 0.1745). Inverse relationships were found between: (1) the number of neurological beds/100,000 inhabitants and the average hospital catchment area (R-2 = 0.2105), and (2) the number of neurological beds/100,000 inhabitants and the GNP per capita (R-2 = 0.1144)