[Social determinants and epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases]. / Socijalne determinante i kardiovaskularni rizici.

Recent approaches to studies of social determinants and social epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases are reviewed. This approach originating in some industrialized countries has so far been neglected in Croatia in spite of previous experiences and existence of sociomedical tradition. The possible explanations are considered. Obvious health problems related to the standard of living, poverty, high unemployment, work insecurity, unjustified inequality of income, and other forms of discrimination in health are not tackled. The social determinants important for health are defined and at least five categories identified, i. e. broad cultural and economic circumstances, structural determinants and social position, intermediate determinants reflected in lifestyles, available social network and social capital, and finally discrimination in health care are recommended to include in epidemiological research and design of health interventions. The following measures are proposed as necessary in the current situation: 1) changes in scope and orientation of epidemiological and clinical research; 2) intensification of information for the public, experts and politicians on the role of social determinants; and 3) amplification of health interventions avoiding patterns of the predominant neoliberal approaches (blaming the victim), as well as administrative egalitarian approaches (teaching people to become victims waiting for elderly brother to provide solutions).

[Compromising conscientiously with reality but not with conscience. Reflections on the occasion of 75th anniversary of A. Stampar School of Public Health]. / Savjesni kompromis s realnoscu bez kompromisa sa savjesti. Osvrt u povodu 75. obljetnice Skole narodnog zdravlja A. Stampar.

Changes in the activities and working conditions of the A. Stampar School of Public Health are reviewed following their anniversaries in the 25-year intervals. The differences have been described in understanding of major fields of work between: (1) social medicine (people's health) and public health; (2) health education following philosophy of Enlightenment and learning in the information era; (3) formal administrative organisation stressing implementation of given laws and entrepreneurial management in a society in transition; and (4) transfer of technology through international collaboration and under pressure of market oriented globalisation. Two basic points of view are identified: a social concern as opposite to technology-oriented productivity. It is concluded that a compromise of intentions and reality was always present looking for a balance between the described points of view. In relation to the present and future activities, the necessary compromise has to be conscientious, following the idea of preventive and social orientation applied to actual living problems of people and health care, namely people's health.

[Hypermedia in medical education: quality of health care]. / Hipermedija u medicinskoj edukaciji: kvaliteta zdravstvene zastite.

The recent technological developments have found its place in medical education as well. Hypermedia has become very popular through the widespread use of the Internet. In its research project, the Department of Educational Technology of the Andrija Stampar School of Public Health studied and applied the educational methods in continuing training of health professionals using hypermedia and taking into account the specificities of medical and health practices. Potentials of hypermedia in medical education are presented within the topic on quality of health care. The result of this project is an interactive educational disk designed for physicians and other health professionals in primary health care faced with the issue of quality. This paper gives an overview of the experience gained during the work on the project and describes the created educational disk with all its specificities observed in the development of the educational hypermedia materials.

[International course Training of teachers in general/family practice: 20 years of experience]. / Medunarodni tecaj za nastavnike iz opce medicine: 20-godisnje iskustvo.

Twenty years of experience in organising and participating at the international courses of Training of teachers in general/family practice are presented. The course was for the first time held in 1983 at the Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik. The founders and the first course directors were the members of the Leeuwenhorst group. There were some difficulties in the organisation of the courses during the war, so that two of them were held in Zagreb, while three were not organised at all. Learning from experience in the small groups was the main method of work. During the whole period, 17 topics were discussed. At the beginning they were mostly educational: developing educational module, defining educational objectives and chosing educational methods and methods of evaluation and assessment. Then, the specific GPs' working methods were discussed as a content and opportunity for teaching. In the last period, the current GPs' topics and the topics usually neglected in current medical education, such as sexual problems, addiction problems, alternative medicine and ethical problems as well as professional values were disscused. 432 participants, from 25 different European countries, Egypt, Kuwait and Japan participated at the courses. There were 85 Croatian participants at the course held in Zagreb. The authors' thoughts about their positive and negative experience in the organisation of these courses is also discussed.