2024, Volume 20
Directions of changes in spa treatment sector in Poland – legal and organizational aspects with fulfilling the mission of health culture in the background
Patryk Wicher1, Aleksandra Sędziak2, Katarzyna Grekowicz3, Michał Mółka1, Anna Wicher1, Andrzej Śliwczyński4, Jan Krakowiak5, Karol Pawlak4
1Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu – National Louis University in Nowy Sącz, Nowy Sącz, Poland
2National Consultant for Balneology and Physical Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
3Economic School Complex in Nowy Sącz, Nowy Sącz, Poland
4Poland National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland
5Department of Social Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
Author for correspondence: Patryk Wicher; Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu – National Louis University in Nowy Sącz, Nowy Sącz, Poland; email: ptwicher@gmail.com
Abstract
Background and Study Aim: The authors of this publication identify with the hypothesis supreme criteria of the value of global civilization: survival of humans and nature in a non-degenerate form and responsibility for coming generations. Thus, in a responsible society, there can be no room for ignoring any opportunity to strengthen health in a balanced way - that is, without neglecting any dimension (somatic, mental and social) either eliminating or favouring any social group. Spa treatment has the universal advantage that the qualities of climate, landscape, thermal, mineral water saturation, etc. do not favour anyone on the basis of social status, wealth, nationality, worldview and any other subjective or objective factor. The cognitive goal of the work is synthetic knowledge about the interrelationship of legal and organizational aspects of spa treatment with elements of health culture that escape quantification. Application goal, the prospect of possible implementations (more or less modified) in societies with similar or even extreme wealth, political system, culture, climate, etc.
Material and Methods: We used a complementary approach in terms of the intersubjective interpretation by the authors of this work of the available methodological findings about the use of this innovative method. The phenomena we are exploring have significant relationships with the supreme criteria of the value of global civilization. Legal acts, guidelines and regulations of the National Health Fund (NHF) were analysed. In addition, the documents of the Parliamentary Team for Health Treatment. Data on the number of patients covered by spa treatment and the value of financing by the NHF were obtained from the NHF Headquarters.
Results: In the period 2008-2023, the largest number of medical services in Polish spas were related to rheumatological diseases (n = 141.835). Least with blood and hematopoietic diseases (n = 657). The largest financial outlays were for rheumatological diseases (PLN 6,28 321). Between 2008 and 2012, the largest number of patients (n = 51.179) received spa treatment in Poland in 2009. Since 2013, there has been a gradual decline in spa patients, which continued until 2019.
Conclusions: The recommendations published by the National Consultant appear to be good premises and assumptions to start a substantive discussion on the direction of expected changes in spa treatment. Thus, the reform of spa treatment should be divided into individual stages addressed to the relevant actors of the three basic areas: administrative, implementation, education.
Key words: complementary approach, health education, INNOAGON, rheumatological diseases, supreme criteria of the value of global civilization