Background: Suicide is a major public health issue and a leading cause of premature mortality worldwide. Assessing suicide risk remains challenging due to multifactorial risks. Objective. The aim of the study was to present ten-year trends in suicides in the Zenica-Doboj Canton and to describe the methods of suicide by gender, age, and year of occurrence, with the goal of better understanding this complex and deviant form of behavior. Methods: In the article has been included a retrospective analysis of suicide data collected from the suicide reporting form in the Zenica-Doboj Canton, obtained from the Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica for the period 2015–2024. Results: Resuzlts are based on 147 processed cases of suicide over a ten-year period. The distribution of suicides by age group was: under 1 year: 0 (0%), 1–4: 0 (0%), 5–9: 0 (0%), 10–14: 0 (0%), 15–19: 4 (3%), 20–29: 16 (11%), 30–39: 13 (9%), 40–49: 20 (15%), 50–59: 26 (18%), 60–64: 27 (19%), 65–69: 9 (6%), 70–79: 20 (14%), 80+: 12 (8%). The average number of suicides per age group was x̄ = 11.3. Yearly suicide cases: 2015: 19 (12.9%), 2016: 19 (12.9%), 2017: 22 (14.9%), 2018: 29 (19.7%), 2019: 29 (19.7%), 2020: 8 (5.4%), 2021: 1 (0.68%), 2023: 0 (0%), 2024: 0 (0%). The average number of suicides per year was x̄ = 14.7. The gender distribution was 73% male and 27% female, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.7:1. The most common method was intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation, and suffocation; 93 (63.2%). Conclusion. Understanding suicide trends, mechanisms, and methods in the Zenica-Doboj Canton can help in the development of early-prevention programs and prevention strategies, as well as in better understanding the contributing factors and suicidal individuals’ attitudes that lead to such fatal decisions.

Background and Objectives: Patient satisfaction with health care can influence health care-seeking behavior in relation to both minor or major health problems or influence communication and compliance with medical advice, which is especially important in emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is important to continually monitor patient satisfaction with provided care and their dynamics. The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in the adult population of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H) and compare it with levels of satisfaction in the same population before the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A representative, population-based survey was implemented in the adult population of the FB&H using the EUROPEP instrument, which measures satisfaction with health care using 23 items. The sample included 740 respondents who were 18 years or older residing in the FB&H and was implemented in December 2020. All data were collected using a system of online panels. The survey questions targeted the nine months from the beginning of the pandemic to the time of data collection, i.e., the period of March to December 2020. Results: The mean composite satisfaction score across all 23 items of the EUROPEP tool was 3.2 points in all age groups; the ceiling effect was 22% for the youngest respondents (18–34 years old), 23% for 35–54 years old, and 26% for the oldest group (55+), showing increasing satisfaction by age. The overall composite score for both females and males was 3.2. The ceiling effect was higher in those with chronic disease (29% vs. 23% in those without chronic disease). The composite mean score for respondents residing in rural vs. urban areas was 3.2 with a ceiling effect of 22% in rural and 24% in urban residents. When comparing mean composite scores surveyed at various points in time in the FB&H, it was found that the score increased from 3.3 to 3.5 between 2011 and 2017 and dropped again to 3.3 in this study. Despite these observations in the overall trends of satisfaction scores, we note that no statistically significant differences were observed between most of the single-item scores in the stratified analysis, pointing to the relative uniformity of satisfaction among the analyzed population subgroups. Conclusions: The rate of satisfaction with health care services in the FB&H was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2011 and 2017. Furthermore, while an increasing trend in satisfaction with health care was observed in the FB&H during the years prior to 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the reversal of this trend. It is important to further monitor the dynamics of patient satisfaction with health care, which could serve as a basis for planning, delivering, and maintaining quality services during the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies.

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patterns of use of essential health services (EHS), health-seeking behaviors, and population health and wellbeing in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) from the perspective of its adult population. A population-based survey was implemented in the FBiH in December 2020 on a sample of 1068 adults. Overall, 64% of respondents received care, significantly more being women (67% vs. 61%, p = 0.046), those with a chronic disease (CD) (75% vs. 65%, p < 0.001), and of an older age (58% in 18–34 vs. 67% in older, p = 0.031). These groups also postponed care more often (39% in 55+ vs. 31% in 18–34 years old, p = 0.01; 55% with CD vs. 31% without, p < 0.001; and 43% in females vs. 32% males, p < 0.001). Main reasons for postponing care were lack of available appointments and fear of infection. The presence of a CD was the strongest predictor of need, access, and disruptions of health care. Respondents reported increased expenses for medicines (40%) and health services (30%). The findings of the survey add user insights into EHS disruptions to existing health statistics and other data and may be used to inform strategies for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on the disruption of health care services, strengthening health system preparedness and building resilience for future emergencies.

Background: Dental documentation which includes main information about a patient and dental treatment provided is a very important asset of each dental office. Objective: This research aims to analyze the way of fulfilling and keeping mandatory dental records and periodic reporting forms by doctors of dental medicine in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H). Methods: The study was observational with a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire as a study tool. The questionnaire was distributed electronically to the participants working in public health care facilities and private practice. Results: A total of 426 Doctors of Dental Medicine (DDM) participated in the study, of whom 58.7% of respondents were employed in dental offices in the public health sector and 41.3% in dental offices in the private health sector. Dental records are filled out only manually by 53.5% of respondents, while 9.4% fill out the records only electronically, while 37.1% of respondents fill out records both manually and electronically. The manner of keeping dental documentation between respondents employed in dental offices in the public health sector and dental offices in the private health sector differs significantly (p<0.05). Almost all respondents understand the purpose and significance of keeping dental records. Conclusion: This paper points out that good dental records are of great importance as they allow monitoring the quality of services provided to patients for a longer period.

Background: Suicide is a major public health problem, with far-reaching social, emotional and economic consequences. Suicide rates are high in all age groups are particularly high in all age groups but are one of the major causes of death among younger age groups, yeilding substantial years of premature life lost. Preventing suicide is one of the major mental health challenges in the world, Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the number and rates of suicide deaths in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H), and describe suicide characteristics by sex, age, method of suicide over the period of 2010 to 2020. Methods: This is a retrospective population-based study from the period 2010 - 2020. Data were from the FB&H mortality register, Institute for Statistics FB&H. Data on deaths by cause of death are given according to the 10th edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death. Suicide data were presented rates by three age group, total number, male and female, crude rates, age-specific death rates and suicide mechanism by age and gender. Results: The total number of suicides increased until 2017 to a peak of 201, then decreased to 157 for 2020. Males comprised over 70% of the suicide deaths. Over half of suicides were among those aged 30 - 64 and nearly one third among those 65 and above. However, the greatest increases were among youth aged 15 to 29, which grew from 2% to 9% of suicides over teh study period. The most common mechanisms for suicide were for hanging and firearms, both most common amond males. Poisoning was the most common mechanism among females. Conclusion: Understanding age and mechanism trends over time will help prioritize prevention strategies. Focus on mental health systems needs to ensure equal access to high-quality services in community based settings. For responses to this challenge to be effective, a comprehensive multisectoral suicide prevention strategy is needed.

Background: The organization of health care system on Cantonal level with the coordination from Federal level represents a real situation with the possibility of decentralization of health care system according to the experiences of developed countries. Objective. To make an overview of the situation at the primary and hospital health care level with the aim of assessing the existing human resources and capacity of health care institutions in FB&H, with which we entered in COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. This retrospective study presents the efficiency of health care in FB&H measured by number of medical doctors, and other medical staff during the time period of five years. Data of the Institute for Public Health FB&H were used. The Institute for Public Health FB&H is authorised by the law to conduct and implement statistical research in the field of health care in line with relevant laws and by-laws. The Institute is obliged to report on organisational structure, human resources and medical equipment. Results. Presented data include the number of health care employees in medical institutions in FB&H in the period 2015-2019 per 100,000 inhabitants and their numbers in primary health care, family medicine, secondary and tertiary level of health care in 2019. The study also presents the number of doctors of medicine, specialists and medical residents in FB&H, the number of nurses of all profiles and levels of education as well as medical staff and other employees in the public health care system in FB&H in 2019. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic in FB&H has confirmed the fact that human resources in health care are insufficient, especially in the field of public health and epidemiology. The availability of these health facilities and human resource is not uniform throughout the FB&H, which may affect the capacity of the health system in some parts of the FB&H to meet the needs of providing services during COVID-19 pandemic.

Seila CiloviC-lagarija1, NiNo HaSaNiCa2,3, MilaN radojiCiC4, elMa SokiC-BegoviC5 , Maida MuliC6, BiljaNa MijoviC7 , aida Pilav8, doriS BardeHle9, SaNjiN MuSa1 1Institute for Public Health of FB&H, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica, Institute for Public Health, Bosnia and Herzegovina 3Department of Healthcare, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina 4Institute for Public Health of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina 5Ministry of Health of Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina 6Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina 7Faculty of Medicine, University of East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 8Institute for Public Health of Sarajevo Canton, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 9Foundation of Men ́s Health Berlin; Germany

Introduction: Aim of the study is to piloting nursing documentation to obtain comments based on the experience of nurses/medical technicians from the primary, secondary, and tertiary health care about the documentation before it is published and starts being used.Methods: A questionnaire was designed in the electronic form to be used for the evaluation and suggestions by nurses/medical technicians on the piloted form and content of nursing documentation for all levels of health care. A piloting sample was prepared to make 10% of nurses/medical technicians from health care institutions from the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Results: A total of 94.3% of examinees at the primary health care level and only 17.2% of the examinees in the secondary and tertiary health care fill out nursing documentation both manually and electronically. All examinees at all levels of health care understand the purpose and importance of nursing documentation. A total of 27.7% of the examinees at the primary and 40.9% of the examinees at the secondary and tertiary level of health care pointed out that filling out nursing documentation was too time-consuming.Conclusion: A total of 51.2% of the examinees at the primary and 64.2% at the secondary and tertiary level of health care agreed that submitted nursing documentation was adequate for use. It is suggested that after the adoption of nursing documentation at all levels of health care, piloting of its use should be conducted to evaluate the quality and quantity of all nursing documentation.