Health promotion in continuous and integrated care: the role of HPH in the development of National and Regional Health Policy

Abstract

Introduction Aging populations have given rise to increases in noncommunicable diseases (NCD‘s), multimorbidities and chronicity.This has necessitated a reorientation of health services such that provision of care is proactive rather than reactive. Health promoting hospitals (HPH) and primary health care (PHC) insitutions are becoming the most important players in this situation. Purpose/Methods Lithuanian HPH Association (LHPHA) having ten years experience in the development of International HPH strategy and twenty years duration of Lithuanian HPH network continiously is working in the direction of health promotion initiatives implementation in the development of national and regional health policies. Results Working in close relation with National Health Board (NHB) LHPHA was involved very much in the creation of new National Heath Programme (NHP) 2014-2025 based on the principles of European Health Policy Health 2020. One of the aims of NHP is to guarantee the better quality and effectiveness of health care services. The health care is an integrated and people needs oriented care. LHPHA and NHB worked a lot, that the ideology of HPH would be included into political documents and the development of HPH would be supported at regional level also. In 2012 the Regions for Health renewed their activities in Kaunas region. With the assistance of LHPHA the pilot PHC centers were involved into Lithuanian HPH network with the main aim – to improve the control of NCD’s with the implementation of second and third health promotion standards using the HPH manual. Conclusions The development of HPH since 2015 will start with new development of HPH and health services movement in Lithuania.