IME

Betegbiztonság minden korosztálynak, minden lépésben

2025-11-24T11:28:52+00:00

The role of lifestyle medicine in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases: Opportunities and challenges within the Hungarian healthcare system

2025-11-24T14:45:28+00:00

Introduction: The importance of healthy lifestyle in shaping health status goes back decades. Six pillars of lifestyle medicine are usually identified: physical activity, nutrition, sleep, avoidance of harmful addictions, stress management and social relationships. In Hungary, as in other countries of the world, lifestyle medicine is finding its place in the everyday practice of medicine, currently. The aims of our study are to present the historical background, the concept, the international and national organisation of lifestyle medicine, to explore the possibilities of integrating lifestyle medicine into the health care system in Hungary and, more broadly, into society.

Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted to review the 'grey' literature and the literature in line with the aims.

Results: Lifestyle medicine has its roots in ancient medicine, but began to become a separate discipline in the 1990s. In line with American and European lifestyle medicine trends, there are several lifestyle medicine societies, also in Hungary. Lifestyle medicine breaks with the usual health-care pattern, in which the patient is more of a client, an active participant in disease prevention or cure. Lifestyle counselling and lifestyle intervention, as a treatment option, are included in many health professional guidelines, but it would also be timely to summarise and educate the knowledge and actual practical skills that are essential for implementation. Although many countries have a highly effective network and institutional structure for lifestyle interventions and concepts, in our country, this is currently incomplete and random in practice. In Hungary, the human resources system of lifestyle medicine is still in the process of being formed, with specialisation at the training level only in preventive medicine and public health. It is recommended that a medical doctor should be the leader of lifestyle interventions, alongside a physiotherapist, a dietician, possibly a psychologist or mental health professional, and a number of other health and non-health professionals who play a supporting role in the implementation of the pillars of lifestyle medicine. Financing of lifestyle interventions are complex and partly outside the traditional healthcare financing methods. In addition to central financing, alternative forms of funding are also used in our country, particularly for physical activity programmes.

Conclusions: Lifestyle factors are one of the most important determinants of health for the global population today, including our own society. Lifestyle medicine should therefore be a priority medical and health specialty, and its integration into conventional medical care will be key to reducing the burden of chronic diseases and improving people's health.

The impact of changes in the new dental funding system on the mood of dentists

2025-11-24T16:35:52+00:00

The legislator introduced the group practices system of general practitioners in primary dental care with territorial service obligations (early 2021) and a quality indicator system in place of the capitation fee depending on the practice's size (January 2023). The latter was implemented without a pilot program or substantial testing. These changes were introduced unexpectedly and appear to be unfair from several perspectives.

We aim to examine the impact of the ongoing transformation processes (the establishment of collaborative work of general practitioners and the introduction of the indicator system) on the primary dental healthcare system. This is done by measuring mood-reflecting elements (willingness to transfer the dental career, ethical distress) among dentists.

We conducted surveys online and anonymously at four different times: April 2022, May 2023, February 2024, and October 2024, to gather opinions from affected dentists on the collaborative work and funding based on indicators. The questionnaires were continuously extended with questions reflecting the current situation.

Our results indicate that the unprepared introduction of the quality indicator system destroyed the previously slightly optimistic mood due to the collaborative work system. While the collaborative work system is somewhat discriminatory, it may also have a protective effect through funding and collegial relationships.

Implementation of congitive screening in the stroke patient pathway

2025-11-24T14:45:28+00:00

Introduction: Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, placing a significant burden on healthcare systems and society. The prevalence of post-stroke cognitive impairment ranges between 20% and 80%, but it is often underdiagnosed. Cognitive deficits have a substantial impact on rehabilitation potential, patients' quality of life, and long-term outcomes.

Objective: To highlight the importance of cognitive screening and explore possibilities of implementation in the stroke care pathway. A paradigm shift is desirable, integrating cognitive screening and rehabilitation in local stroke protocols as parts of the stroke care pathway.

Discussion: Stroke is an emergency neurological condition with tight therapeutic time windows, making the identification of cognitive impairment typically feasible only during the hospital's subacute phase. It is crucial to conduct cognitive screening at this stage to identify and address cognitive deficits and achieve optimal functional outcome. The Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS) is a promising, quick, and easily administered stroke-specific screening test that can aid the early detection and management of cognitive impairments. The Hungarian adaptation of the OCS is underway and will be available for free.

Conclusion: Introducing cognitive screening during the subacute post-stroke period enables systematic cognitive assessment of stroke patients, enhancing patient safety and opening new, previously unavailable opportunities in Hungarian healthcare practice. Early cognitive diagnostics are essential for targeted rehabilitation and cognitive training, which are prerequisites for social reintegration.

Living book at the library

2025-11-24T14:45:28+00:00

Background: Stigmatisation of individuals with mental illness is a social issue that can lead to discrimination and exclusion. This situation can upset patients' already fragile mental state and increase their sense of vulnerability. The broader society often lacks awareness of the true qualities of individuals with mental health issues and does not possess credible information about their daily lives and living conditions. Additionally, society is deprived of their personal experiences, which helps to perpetuate widespread stereotypes and prejudices. These factors create significant barriers to the social inclusion and reintegration of people with mental illness. Experience in day-to-day patient care supports this understanding. In this article, we present a project that employs the "living book method" as a tool to build connections between people with mental illness and members of mainstream society.

Method: The "Living Book Method" is an internationally recognised tool for social sensitisation and combating stigma. This approach aims to establish a personal connection between members of marginalised social groups and individuals interested in understanding their experiences through personal life stories. The meetings are well-structured, pre-arranged, and voluntary for both parties. Additionally, for individuals with mental health challenges, sharing and openly discussing their own life stories has been shown to have therapeutic benefits, contributing to the restoration of their mental well-being.

Results: Our project has facilitated face-to-face interactions that would not have occurred otherwise. These conversations took place not only between individuals who were ill and those who were well but also fostered genuine connections among all participants. Each discussion was confidential, respectful, and characterised by mutual understanding, which contributed to improving the mental well-being of both parties and enhancing their understanding of each other's situations.

Conclusions: Implementing projects like this one can help reduce exclusionary thinking and stigma in society. Based on our project's conduct and evaluation, we conclude that similar initiatives are essential to enhancing scientific knowledge and supporting the rehabilitation of psychiatric patients.

The effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in primary care: a narrative review

2025-11-24T14:45:27+00:00

Background: In Hungary, reducing smoking could lead to significant health gains and cost savings, as 21% of deaths are linked to this activity. Health promotion activities and anti-smoking interventions can be implemented in primary care within the healthcare system. To our knowledge, a detailed Hungarian analysis on the cost-effectiveness of anti-smoking interventions has not yet been published.

Method: Our research involved examining publications in the PUBMED and EMBASE databases from 2010 to 2023. We included studies that presented anti-smoking interventions in primary care and analyzed their cost-effectiveness.

Results: After the screening process, we selected 14 relevant studies for the final sample. The publications included model calculations and analyses based on the results of randomized trials. The interventions included brief interventions, internet-based interventions, telephone cessation support, nicotine replacement therapy, and cytisine therapy. The target population was mostly smokers, but some studies examined specific groups.

Conclusions: Most of the interventions presented in our analysis meet the criteria for cost-effectiveness. Adapting them to the Hungarian healthcare system requires significant work, but with well-chosen interventions, substantial health gains could be achieved with relatively few resources.

A maradékelvű finanszírozástól a jövedelmek restaurációjáig

2025-11-24T11:28:54+00:00