Biomedical subjects

A Stepan

Publications and source records attributed to A Stepan.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

[The effects of stalking on psychiatrists, psychotherapists and psychologists. Prevalence of stalking and its emotional impact].

Stalking in the psychiatric context describes a pathological behaviour which is characterized by repeated persecution, harassment, or menacing of or assault on a person. Because of the association between stalking and mental disorders, psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists belong to particularly exposed professions. If they fall victim to stalking during their career, disruptive impacts up to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be the consequence. A total of 117 psychiatrists, psychologists or psychotherapists in Graz participated in an anonymous interview. To register possible experiences with stalking defined behaviour, a modified version of the questionnaire of Kamleiter was used. The prevalence and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms were determined using the Impact of Event Scale of Horowitz. The study showed an incidence of stalking of 38.5%. The rate of female stalkers (60%) was extraordinary high. Most victims (68.9%) experienced non-violent threats. Most of the offenders (41.9%) were diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia, schizotype and delusional disorders (F2) followed by disorders of adult personality and behaviour (F6) (30.2%). Some 44.4% of the victims developed symptoms of PTSD, which were usually only slight. The analyses suggest that stalking, in the psychiatric field of activity, is a common and serious phenomenon, and that strategies for the prevention and protection of potentially affected professions have to be developed.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Priority setting in Austria.

Priority setting and rationing are not yet matters of public debate in Austria. Before a discussion on rationing is undertaken, the incentive system concerning the financing of health care services needs to be reformed, especially in relation to the reimbursement of hospitals and physicians. This is necessary if a waste of scarce resources is to be avoided. Although methods and principles of priority setting and rationing are not openly discussed, several rationing techniques are already performed as organisational tools. A Eurobarometer survey of the population regarding their satisfaction with the health care system confirms the presumption that Austrians are not aware of the fact that rationing methods already exist.

Austria↗

PubMed1997

Principal-agent problems in health care systems: an international perspective.

A central feature of all health care systems is the flow of finances from the population, via a variety of agencies, to the providers of health care. Each transfer of funds within the system involves a principal-agent problem, in the sense that a principal is entrusting funds to an agent with the intention that some desired aspect of health care delivery can be secured. This paper examines within the context of a principal-agent model three key elements of the health care system: the raising of finance, the transfer of funds to hospitals, and spending by hospitals. At each of these stages there is a danger that the objectives of society for the health care system are lost. In order to illustrate the issues involved, five mature systems of health care are examined: Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States of America. The paper concludes that three aspects of the flow of funds are crucial to securing adequate control: the means of controlling patient entry to hospitals; the mechanism for remunerating hospitals for additional patients; and the control of physicians by hospital management.

Delivery of Health Care↗