title: Health policy analysis for prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus in Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Current capacity of the Turkish health system is reviewed to evaluate and develop appropriate policies for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes mellitus (DM) and related risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper qualitatively evaluates existing policies; interviews with key informants (KIs); and rapid appraisal fieldwork in clinical settings about CVD-DM through the framework of Walt and Gilson (Health Policy Plan 9:353-370, 1994).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Document review shows that prevention and control of CVD-DM were strongly addressed in Turkey, yet no document mentioned country-wide early detection or screening programs. KIs indicated over-fragmented management of CVD-DM by the Ministry of Health (MoH). Coordination among the MoH, organizational structure at provincial level and civil society organizations are poor where mutual trust is a significant problem according to KIs. Clinical setting findings point to a complete lack of a referral structure and a lack of follow-up, compounding the absence of functioning health information systems for patient records.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary care services for CVD-DM require urgent attention, focusing particularly on the training of staff in public facilities, the integration of patient data, referrals and follow-up across all levels of the health system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Medical Faculty, Dokuz Eylul University, 35340, Izmir, Turkey, bulent.kilic@deu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalaca
authors.forename: Belgin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Phillimore
authors.forename: Shahaduz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaman
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D011050:Policy Making; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey