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Review:
Judith G. Hall, Lesley Bainbridge, Alison Buchan, Alastair Cribb, Jane Drummond, Carlton Gyles, T. Philip Hicks, Carol McWilliam, Barbara Paterson, Pamela A. Ratner, Elizabeth Skarakis-Doyle, and Patty Solomon
A meeting of minds: interdisciplinary research in the health sciences in Canada
CMAJ 2006; 175: 763-771 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
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[Read eLetter] Development of health sciences in Hungary with Canadian support
Ildikó Kriszbacher   (13 November 2006)

Development of health sciences in Hungary with Canadian support 13 November 2006
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Ildikó Kriszbacher
Institute of Nursing and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pécs

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Re: Development of health sciences in Hungary with Canadian support

ildiko.kriszbacher{at}etk.pte.hu Ildikó Kriszbacher

Imre Boncz1, András Oláh2, József Bódis2 1. Department of Health Policy, National Health Insurance Fund Administration (OEP), Budapest, Hungary 2. Institute of Nursing and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, Hungary

We read with great interest the paper of Hall et al on the interdisciplinary research in health sciences in Canada [1]. The collaboration and cooperation of six health science disciplines (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, rehabilitation science and veterinary medicine) are of paramount importance for the further development of health sciences research and education [2]. During the 1990s, Canada provided a significant contribution towards the development of health sciences in Hungary. After the social and political changes in 1990, many disciplines were underdeveloped in Hungary, including health care management, nursing and health technology assessment. With the establishment of a health care management training centre (“McGill training in Dobogókő”), modern management skills were transferred to the Hungarian health care leaders. The other discipline received significant assistance for its development from Canada (Douglas College, New Westminster) was nursing science, where bachelor and masters level education was introduced in Hungary. Canadian experts provided valuable support for introducing health technology assessment in Hungary [3]. The year 2006 resulted in a new milestone in development of health sciences in Hungary with the establishment of the Health Sciences Doctoral (Ph.D.) School at the University of Pécs, which allows postgraduate students to earn a Ph.D. degree in the field of health sciences. Our definition of health sciences includes – in addition to six basic disciplines – some borderline subjects, mainly related to economics and management. This broader concept of health sciences strengthens the possibility for interdisciplinary research towards health economics and health services research [4, 5].

References

1. Hall JG, Bainbridge L, Buchan A, Cribb A, Drummond J, Gyles C, Hicks TP, McWilliam C, Paterson B, Ratner PA, Skarakis-Doyle E, Solomon P. A meeting of minds: interdisciplinary research in the health sciences in Canada. CMAJ 2006; 175(7):763-71. 2. Armstrong PW, Dempster LJ, Hawkins DG, et al. The Birth of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Clin Invest Med 2005; 28(2):43-5. 3. Gulácsi L, Hungarian health care in transition; Studies on the improvement of the effectiveness of health care in Hungary by implementing quality assurance, University of Amsterdam, 2001. 4. Boncz I, Dozsa C, Kalo Z, Nagy L, Borcsek B, Brandtmuller A, Betlehem J, Sebestyen A, Gulacsi L. Development of health economics in Hungary between 1990-2006. Eur J Health Econ, 2006, 7(S1):4-6. 5. Boncz I, Sebestyen A. Health services research in Hungary. Med J Australia, 2006, 184(12): 646-647.

Conflict of Interest:

None declared