Western Europe and the former Eastern bloc: How to maximise potential through collaboration

TY - JOUR

T1 - Western Europe and the former Eastern bloc

T2 - How to maximise potential through collaboration

AU - Tchanturia, Kate

AU - Surguladze, Simon

AU - Campbell, Iain

PY - 2005/12/1

Y1 - 2005/12/1

N2 - In Eastern Europe, political freedom, has brought economic problems for patients and health workers. Previously, mental health policies were decided centrally. This system was rigid, but some funding was ensured for hospitals and salaries. Now, in some cases there is a decrease in the quality of health care because of financial constraints although there are often more health professionals than in the west. There is a need to improve the physical infrastructure of hospitals, information flow has to be improved and low salaries for health professionals need to be addressed. There is also a need to improve training. Perceived hierarchical structures in Health Care and Academic Institutions can lead to some misuse of junior staff, to a sense of entitlement in their seniors and to concentration of funds in too few hands. Lack of funding for research and salaries raises the possibility that healthcare companies might exert excessive influence. Problems will not disappear overnight but there could be EU initiatives directed towards: 1) Provision of research funding that requires inclusion of an eastern bloc group. 2) Training Fellowships to allow junior staff to make a series of visits to western Institutions but designed to encourage recipients to promote developments in their native country. 3) Initiatives to change management structures in mental health. These proposals require governmental interventions, but it is possible that at an individual level some progress can also be made: some options are discussed.

AB - In Eastern Europe, political freedom, has brought economic problems for patients and health workers. Previously, mental health policies were decided centrally. This system was rigid, but some funding was ensured for hospitals and salaries. Now, in some cases there is a decrease in the quality of health care because of financial constraints although there are often more health professionals than in the west. There is a need to improve the physical infrastructure of hospitals, information flow has to be improved and low salaries for health professionals need to be addressed. There is also a need to improve training. Perceived hierarchical structures in Health Care and Academic Institutions can lead to some misuse of junior staff, to a sense of entitlement in their seniors and to concentration of funds in too few hands. Lack of funding for research and salaries raises the possibility that healthcare companies might exert excessive influence. Problems will not disappear overnight but there could be EU initiatives directed towards: 1) Provision of research funding that requires inclusion of an eastern bloc group. 2) Training Fellowships to allow junior staff to make a series of visits to western Institutions but designed to encourage recipients to promote developments in their native country. 3) Initiatives to change management structures in mental health. These proposals require governmental interventions, but it is possible that at an individual level some progress can also be made: some options are discussed.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33748073475&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:33748073475

VL - 3

SP - 45

EP - 48

JO - Bridging Eastern and Western Psychiatry

JF - Bridging Eastern and Western Psychiatry

IS - 1

ER -