title: Hospital care services for digestive diseases in Italy: the first quantitative assessment.
abstract: The scarcity of human and structural resources for specialized gastroenterology care is a problem in many Western countries. Data regarding the resources for Italian Gastroenterology, so far lacking, have been thus searched and evaluated. Based on an agreement protocol between the Italian Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists (AIGO) and the Ministry of Health, national data regarding all Institutions providing gastroenterological care were analysed. Hospital beds in Gastroenterology units are presented by region, regimen of stay and per million inhabitants as of January 2011. Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists also performed a survey of gastroenterology units in all Italian regions regarding number of ordinary/day hospital beds and the number of staff gastroenterologists. The Ministry data showed a total of 174 Gastronterology Units in Italy, a total of 2062 hospital beds for the discipline, for a proportion of 34.2 beds per million inhabitants. The Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists survey showed a total of 1425 gastroenterologists in Italy. These data should represent a key reference for appropriate planning of specialized care for digestive diseases.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, Maggiore Hospital, Crema, Italy. Electronic address: ebuscarini@rim.it.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buscarini
authors.affiliation: General Direction of Health Care Planning, Health Ministry, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carle
authors.affiliation: General Direction of Information and Statistical System for Health Care, Health Ministry, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tamburini
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balzano
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, S. Biagio Hospital, Marsala, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milazzo
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, S. Carlo Hospital, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soncini
authors.affiliation: Regional Epidemiology Service (SER), Veneto Region, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milan
authors.affiliation: Regional Epidemiology Service (SER), Veneto Region, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spolaore
mesh_terms: D005762:Gastroenterology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D012955:Societies, Medical; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Emergency; Gastroenterologist; Gastroenterology; Hospital bed; National health system; Ordinary stay