title: User involvement in Slovenian healthcare.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to report on current developments in user involvement in healthcare in Slovenia and to explore the issue from the macro-, mezzo- and micro-levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  User involvement is first contextualised within history of the organisation of healthcare system, from its socialist past through to its post-transitional developments. Second, user involvement is tracked through an analysis of healthcare policies and legislation as well as at its institutional and organisational levels. Finally, user involvement practices are illustrated from the perspective of individual patients. A descriptive and exploratory case study design was employed, including a literature review, document analysis and qualitative thematic analysis of nine in-depth and four semi-structured interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings reveal a complex and at times ambivalent picture in which user involvement is still not firmly embedded into the healthcare system, despite being generally accepted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No systematic qualitative research of patient involvement in Slovenia has previously been published. This research will establish a basis for further investigations of the topic.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Matic
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kavcic
authors.forename: Majda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pahor
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Domajnko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D017524:Slovenia; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Choice; Co-production; Healthcare; Slovenia; User involvement; Voice