Health care system in the domain of Early Childhood Intervention

Potaknuta potrebama obitelji i postojećim stanjem rane intervencije u Republici Hrvatskoj, Hrvatska udruga za ranu intervenciju u djetinjstvu pokrenula je stvaranje jedinstvene baze podataka o uslugama rane intervencije u Republici Hrvatskoj. Cilj baze podataka je omogućiti jednostavan pristup sveobuhvatnim i provjerenim informacijama o uslugama rane intervencije u djetinjstvu, koje se pružaju u Republici Hrvatskoj u području predškolskog odgoja, sustava zdravlja i socijalne skrbi. U ovom radu bit će prikazani podatci dobiveni u državnim i privatnim zdravstvenim ustanovama radi uvida u trenutno stanje pružanja usluga u domeni rane intervencije u djetinjstvu na području Republike Hrvatske u sustavu zdravlja. Podatci su prikupljeni putem anketnog upitnika u obliku internetske aplikacije. Uzorak su činile 41 državna i 32 privatne zdravstvene ustanove prijavljene u sustavu zdravstva. Rezultati upućuju na geografsku centraliziranost stručnjaka koji pružaju usluge u domeni rane intervencije u sustavu zdravlja, te ih je najviše na području Grada Zagreba. No nije evidentirana statistički značajna razlika između županija u odnosu na vrstu teškoća kojima se bave, stručnjaka koje zapošljavaju i usluga koje se pružaju. Usporedba između privatnih i državnih zdravstvenih ustanova pokazala je da su privatne organizacije po strukturi zaposlenih i vrsti usluga bliže suvremenom konceptu rane intervencije, koji se fokusira i na dijete i na njegove roditelje te nije dominantno usmjeren na motorički aspekt djetetovog razvoja. Tako privatni sektor dopunjava ono što državni ne daje, ali te usluge roditelji moraju sami plaćati. jInspired by the current state of Early Childhood Intervention in the Republic of Croatia and the needs of families, the Croatian Association for Early Childhood Intervention has initiated development of a unique database of the Early Childhood Intervention services at the national level. Creating a database aims to provide easy access to comprehensive and reliable information about services in the fi eld of Early Childhood Intervention provided in the Republic of Croatia in the preschool education, health care and social welfare systems. This paper presents data obtained in the public and private health care institutions in order to get an insight into the current state of service delivery in the fi eld of Early Childhood Intervention all over Croatia. Data were collected through questionnaire in the form of Internet application. The sample consisted of 41 public health care institutions and 32 private institutions registered in the health care system. Results indicated abidance of centralization of institutions that provide services in the fi eld of Early Childhood Intervention within the health care system in the City of Zagreb. At the same time, no statistically signifi cant diff erences were found among counties and diff erent kinds of disabilities, professionals and services provided. Comparison between public and private health care institutions showed the structure of the employees as well as the type of services at private institutions to be closer to the contemporary concept of early intervention. Namely, their focus is on the child and their parents rather than on the motor aspect of the child’s development. Private sector brings what public sector does not off er, but parents have to pay for services in the former