Introdução: O tratamento do câncer retal melhorou ao longo das décadas com aprimoramento e surgimento de novas terapêuticas resultando em maior sobrevida. Assim, os resultados e o impacto pós-tratamento sobre a QVRS são cada vez mais considerados e não só a ausência da doença. Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade de vida imediata e tardia relacionada à saúde em pacientes tratados de câncer retal com intenção curativa. Método: Estudo descritivo-exploratório, com delineamento de coorte prospectivo, de caráter observacional para geração de hipóteses acerca da qualidade de vida de pacientes com câncer de reto. Conduzimos com aplicação de entrevista por questionário específico para dados demográficos; questionário estruturado EORTC QLQ-C30 e EORTC-CR38 para avaliação da QVRS aplicados no início do tratamento, três meses após a cirurgia e 12 meses após. A casuística foi composta de 58 pessoas, totalizando 29 pacientes puderam participar conforme critérios de inclusão e 12 que puderam responder os questionários após 12 meses. Os escores de cada paciente foram comparados - início, após 3 meses de intervenção e 12 meses com ou sem estoma. Os dados foram organizados em planilha Excel e análise dos dados realizada utilizando o software R (R-project) versão 3.1.2. Resultados: Após três meses houve piora da satisfação sexual, Problemas sexuais femininos e Perspectiva futura. Melhoram os Sintomas Gastrointestinais, problemas esfincterianos e perda de peso. Após 12 meses a Perspectiva futura deteriorou, porém houve melhora dos Problemas relacionados ao estoma, Problemas esfincterianos e Imagem Corporal. Conclusão: Apesar de toda complexidade do tratamento multidisciplinar do câncer de reto dentro de um serviço especializado, a qualidade de vida ficou preservada e foi satisfatória na maioria dos quesitos estudados / Introduction: The treatment of rectal cancer has improved over the decades with improvement and emergence of new therapies resulting in greater survival. Thus, the results and post-treatment impact on HRQoL are increasingly considered and not just the absence of the disease. Objective: To evaluate the immediate and late health-related quality of life in patients treated for rectal cancer with curative intent. Method: A descriptive-exploratory study, with a prospective cohort design, with an observational character to generate hypotheses about the quality of life of patients with rectal cancer. We conducted with questionnaire interview application specific to demographic data; structured questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC-CR38 for the evaluation of HRQoL applied at the beginning of treatment, three months after surgery and 12 months after. The sample consisted of 58 people, totaling 29 patients who could participate according to inclusion criteria and 12 who could answer the questionnaires after 12 months. The scores of each patient were compared - beginning, after 3 months of intervention and 12 months with or without stoma. The data were organized in Excel spreadsheet and data analysis performed using software R (R-project) version 3.1.2. Results: After three months there was worsening of sexual satisfaction, Female sexual problems and Future perspective. Improve Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Sphincter Problems and Weight Loss. After 12 months, the future Perspective deteriorated, but there was improvement of the problems related to the stoma, Sphincter problems and Body Image. Conclusion: Despite the complexity of the multidisciplinary treatment of rectal cancer within a specialized service, the quality of life was preserved and was satisfactory in most of the studied questions

<p>Bakgrund: Sjukfrånvaron i Sverige är hög i jämförelse med andra EU-länder.Långtidssjukskrivning till följd av stressrelaterade sjukdomar domineras av kvinnor.Det finns ett stort behov av en effektivare återgångsprocess till arbetslivet efter ensjukskrivning där olika insatser bör prövas och utvärderas. I vissa fall kan en neutralpart i form av en oberoende samordnare vara till hjälp för den sjukskrivne iåtergångsprocessen. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva kvinnors erfarenheter avmöten med arbetsgivarringens representant i återgångsprocessen till arbete, efter enstressrelaterad långtidssjukskrivning. Metod: Data insamlades genom kvalitativaintervjuer med tio kvinnor. Inklusionskriterer var att ha varit långtidssjukskriven förstressrelaterade sjukdomar, att ha varit i kontakt med en arbetsgivarring, samt att underåren 2007-2008 återgått till tidigare arbete eller annat lönearbete i en omfattning avminst 25 procent och ha arbetat under minst sex månader. Med arbetsgivarringens hjälpgjordes ett strategiskt urval, där hänsyn togs till ålder, sjukskrivningens längd, yrke ocharbetsplats. Data analyserades med manifest- och latent innehållsanalys. Resultat:Resultatet visar på fyra kategorier som representerar det manifesta innehållet: att blibemött med respekt och engagemang, att arbeta med att finna lösningar, egen utvecklingmed ökat självförtroende, organisatoriska aspekter. Det latenta innehållet beskriverkvinnans utvecklingsprocess, arbetsgivarringens handledningsprocess och det mellanmänskligasamspel som sker mellan dessa parter. Intervjuerna genomsyras av uttryckdär kvinnan beskriver att hon befinner sig i centrum. Allt handlar om henne och det ärarbetsgivarringen som får henne att känna sig betydelsefull. Slutsats: Genom en djupareförståelse för vad som bidrar till återgång till arbetslivet för personer medlångtidssjukskrivning, kan grunden läggas till ökad satsning och adekvata insatser förökad återgång till arbetet för fler personer.Nyckelord: återgång till arbete (RTW), stressrelaterad långtidssjukskrivning</p> / <p>Background: Sickness absenteeism is high in Sweden compared to other countries inthe European Union. Long-term-sick-absenteeism which depends on stress-relatedsickness is dominated by women. There is a great need to make the return-to-work(RTW) process more effective after an absenteeism where different contributions mustbe tested and evaluated. In some cases may neutral parties in form of an independentRTW-coordinator support sick-listed persons in their RTW-process. Purpose: Thepurpose of the study was to describe women’s experiences of meetings with a personfrom an “arbetsgivarring” in the RTW-process, after a period of stress-related sickness.Methods: Data was collected by qualitative interviews with ten women. Criteria thatincluded participation: to have been long-term-sick-listed because of stress-relatedsickness,to have been in touch with an “arbetsgivarring”, and during 2007-2008returned to earlier occupation or other form of paid work in an extend of 25 percent andhave been working for at least six month. Data was analysed using both manifest andlatent content analysis. Results: The result shows four categories representing themanifest content: to be treated with respect and engagement, to work with findingsolutions, own development with increased self-confidence, organisational aspects. Thelatent content describes the development process of the woman, the guidance process ofthe “arbetsgivarring” and the inter-mediate humanity that occurs between these twoparts in the meeting. All narratives are permeated by expressions where the womandescribes herself being in the centre of attention. Everything is about her and the“arbetsgivarring” makes her feel important. Conclusions: Through deeperunderstanding regarding what promotes RTW for persons on long-term-sick-list thebasis for an increased investment and adequate contributions to reach an improvingRTW can be laid for numerous persons.</p>

<p>The present thesis follows an intensive care unit during four year of hard work and demanding organisational changes (1998-2001). The changes were mainly initiated by diminishing resources and a legislative claim to pay regard to the quality aspect of health care service. The process of implementing a quality system was the main focus for the thesis. Triangulation was used aiming at explore the process from different views. Two interviews studies were conducted one with the staff and another with the leadership. Both interviews were analysed thematically combined with a phenomenographic technique (e.g. using the how, and what aspect). A longitudinal quasi experimental time-series study was also accomplished. The correlation between staff variables and workload were measured once a year. The result show a 20 % increase in workload per staff and year. The staff judged the organisational climate for innovativeness stable over the period. Sick leave increased, and more so, than the general trend in the society. In spite of this increase the prevalence of stress related symptoms was the same. Two different systems emerged, a complex adaptive system and a mechanical system. The two systems exist and functions intertwined. Because of the construction of the patient register it is possible to see that the situation around a patients being admitted ≥ 5 days functions according to the complex systems character while the situation around the acute patients functions according to a mechanical system. Sick leave correlated with number of patient admitted ≥ 5 days (P=,000). It seemed the problem found had its root in the unawareness of the existing of a complex system. The result has implications for a need of increased awareness about how to manage the situation when the ICU is functioning according to the complex adaptive system.</p>

The present thesis follows an intensive care unit during four year of hard work and demanding organisational changes (1998-2001). The changes were mainly initiated by diminishing resources and a legislative claim to pay regard to the quality aspect of health care service. The process of implementing a quality system was the main focus for the thesis. Triangulation was used aiming at explore the process from different views. Two interviews studies were conducted one with the staff and another with the leadership. Both interviews were analysed thematically combined with a phenomenographic technique (e.g. using the how, and what aspect). A longitudinal quasi experimental time-series study was also accomplished. The correlation between staff variables and workload were measured once a year. The result show a 20 % increase in workload per staff and year. The staff judged the organisational climate for innovativeness stable over the period. Sick leave increased, and more so, than the general trend in the society. In spite of this increase the prevalence of stress related symptoms was the same. Two different systems emerged, a complex adaptive system and a mechanical system. The two systems exist and functions intertwined. Because of the construction of the patient register it is possible to see that the situation around a patients being admitted ≥ 5 days functions according to the complex systems character while the situation around the acute patients functions according to a mechanical system. Sick leave correlated with number of patient admitted ≥ 5 days (P=,000). It seemed the problem found had its root in the unawareness of the existing of a complex system. The result has implications for a need of increased awareness about how to manage the situation when the ICU is functioning according to the complex adaptive system.

<p>After the elections in 2006 there was a change of government in Sweden, when the Moderate Party with the right block took over the power from the Social democrats. The politics of the new government is more liberal than the politics of the Social democrats, which implied several changes of the Swedish social security system, in particular some important changes of the sickness benefit.</p><p>The objective of this essay has been to examinate the changes of the system, as well as the reasons for the changes, and also to compare the system in Sweden to the one in France, who has another structure.</p><p>The methods used are archive and corpus crossings in terms of collecting information from literature and websites of the social insurance offices in Sweden and in France. Further a qualitative method has been carried out in shape of an interview with the administrative official responsible of the sickness benefit at the social insurance office in Växjö.</p><p>The result has shown that there are several reasons for the changes in the Swedish system. It seems as if the most important reason is the big number of individuals on the sick-list which causes economical problems, since the employment rate is too low compared to the retired quotient of the population. The economical crises might have an influence on the changes of the systems, but not the present recession. Despite the rather big changes from a social system towards a more liberal one, the Swedish scheme has still kept its basic characteristics.</p> / <p>En 2006, la Suède a eu un changement de gouvernement. Les sociaux-démocrates ont été remplacés par l'alliance entre les partis à droite. Le nouveau gouvernement mène une politique plus libérale que les sociaux-démocrates, et ils ont introduit plusieurs changements dans le système de santé et particulièrement dans le règlement de l'indemnité journalière.</p><p>Ce mémoire a pour but d'examiner les changements dans le système, ainsi que les raisons de ces changements.</p><p>Les méthodes appliquées sont l'archive et le corpus, puisque j'ai étudié les ouvrages relatifs à la santé ainsi que les sites Internet des institutions responsables de l'indemnité journalière en Suède et en France. J'ai aussi eu un entretien avec un employé de la Caisse de Sécurité sociale à Växjö qui s'occupe particulièrement de l'indemnité journalière.</p><p>Les résultats de cette étude montrent qu'il y a plusieurs raisons à l'origine des changements dans le système suédois. Il semble que la raison la plus importante soit le nombre croissant de personnes en arrêt maladie ce qui génère des difficultés économiques, de même la proportion de la population active par rapport aux retraités est au cœur de la problématique. Enfin, les crises économiques peuvent influencer le système, mais la crise actuelle ne semble pas avoir eu une influence importante sur les changements.</p><p>Malgré les changements assez bouleversants vers un système plus libéral en Suède, qui tend à se rapprocher légèrement du système français, le système suédois reste plus social que le système français.</p>

Σκοπός της διατριβής ήταν η διερεύνηση του φαινομένου της απουσίας (για λόγους υγείας) από την εργασία στον ιδιωτικό τομέα και ιδίως στη βαριά βιομηχανία, και τη πιθανή επίδραση στην ικανότητα εργασίας. Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή στηρίχτηκε κυρίως στη μελέτη του αρχείου αναρρωτικών αδειών (μιας κοόρτης) εργαζομένων σε ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα ναυπηγεία της χώρας, καθώς και στις ετήσιες στατιστικές αναφορές του Ιδρύματος Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων (ΙΚΑ) της τελευταίας 20ετίας. Τα χαμηλά επίπεδα απουσιασμού ασθενείας στον ιδιωτικό τομέα στην Ελλάδα επιβεβαιώθηκαν από τη μελέτη που έγινε στα πλαίσια αυτής της διατριβής, αν και τα αποτελέσματα υποδεικνύουν ότι ο απουσιασμός ασθενείας στην Ελλάδα είναι ελαφρώς μεγαλύτερος από ότι υποδείκνυαν οι πρόσφατες διεθνείς συγκριτικές μελέτες. Το ποσοστό απουσιασμού (Absenteeism rate) βρέθηκε περίπου 2.5%, από τα χαμηλότερα στην Ευρώπη. Παρόλα αυτά, επειδή περιλαμβάνει τον εργάσιμο χρόνο που διαφέρει από χώρα σε χώρα, δεν χρησιμοποιείται συχνά στις μελέτες αν και ίσως είναι ο πιο έγκυρος δείκτης απουσιασμού. Η μέση διάρκεια απουσίας για κάθε εργαζόμενο ανά έτος ήταν 5.8 ημέρες( μέγιστη τιμή 8 ημέρες προς το τέλος της περιόδου μελέτης) με ένα αντίστοιχο μέσο όρο που ξεπερνούσε κατά πολύ τις 10 ημέρες στην υπόλοιπη Ευρώπη. Ενδιαφέρον εύρημα αποτελεί το γεγονός ότι οι μικρής διάρκειας απουσίες (<4 ημέρες) αντιστοιχούσαν στο 25% της συνολικής διάρκειας των απουσιών, κάτι που μέχρι τώρα δεν μπορούσε να υπολογιστεί από τα εθνικά στατιστικά δεδομένα του ΙΚΑ. Κατά τη μελέτη των δεδομένων του ΙΚΑ τις δυο τελευταίες δεκαετίες, βρέθηκε μια κυματοειδής πορεία του απουσιασμού, επιδεικνύοντας πτωτική πορεία μέχρι τα τέλη τις δεκαετίας του 1990, σε συμφωνία με τις προηγούμενες μελέτες και εν συνεχεία μια ανοδική πορεία, αν και μέχρι το τέλος της περιόδου μελέτης τα επίπεδα παρέμειναν χαμηλότερα από τα αρχικά. Σίγουρα οι παρατηρήσεις αυτής της μελέτης χρήζουν περαιτέρω διερεύνησης, καθώς ο χαμηλός απουσιασμός μόνο μερικώς μπορεί να αποδοθεί στα χαμηλά επίπεδα αποζημίωσης μισθού σε περίπτωση αναρρωτικής άδειας ή τα υψηλά ποσοστά ανεργίας. Βασικός σκοπός πρέπει πάντα να είναι η διατήρηση και προώθηση της καλής υγείας των εργαζομένων, μέσω όσο το δυνατόν καλύτερων εργασιακών συνθηκών. Καθώς τόσο οι εργασιακές συνθήκες όσο και η υγεία των εργαζομένων είναι σε μια δυναμική κατάσταση, χρειάζονται εργαλεία παρακολούθησης. Η μέτρηση του απουσιασμού ασθενείας είναι ένας παράγοντας που πάντα θα πρέπει να εκτιμάται από τον ιατρό εργασίας και τον εργοδότη, χρησιμοποιώντας τους διάφορους δείκτες που έχουν καθιερωθεί. Σαν συμπληρωματικό εργαλείο παρακολούθησης προτείνεται η χρήση του Δείκτη Ικανότητας Εργασίας (Work Ability Index), που είναι ένα ερωτηματολόγιο, το οποίο σταθμίστηκε στα Ελληνικά και εκτιμά γενικά τη λειτουργική ικανότητα των εργαζομένων, όντας άμεσα συνδεδεμένο με τον απουσιασμό ασθενείας. Η ελληνική έκδοση του Δείκτη Ικανότητας Εργασίας έδειξε ικανοποιητικές ψυχομετρικές ιδιότητες και συνοχή, και μπορεί να αποτελέσει μια αξιόπιστη εναλλακτική επιλογή στα εργαλεία αξιολόγησης της ικανότητας εργασίας σε ατομικό και ομαδικό επίπεδο. Ο παράγοντας Bradford είναι ένας ακόμα δείκτης που η προγνωστική του δύναμη όσον άφορα το βραχυπρόθεσμο απουσιασμό φάνηκε σε αυτή τη μελέτη. Προτείνεται επίσης η χρήση και των δυο αυτών δεικτών με την μορφή ενός νέου δείκτη (Δείκτης Πρόβλεψης Πιθανής Απουσίας), για την ανίχνευση εργαζομένων και τομέων εργασίας με αυξημένη πιθανότητα απουσίας για λογούς υγείας τα αμέσως επόμενα χρόνια. Στα πλαίσια της στάθμισης έγινε επίσης φανερό το πρότυπο νοσηρότητας του πληθυσμού των ναυπηγείων, όπου κυριαρχούν οι μυοσκελετικές και αναπνευστικές παθήσεις μαζί με το τραύμα, ενώ τη μεγαλύτερη επίδραση στην ικανότητα εργασίας φαίνεται να έχουν οι καρδιαγγειακές και ψυχικές παθήσεις. Αναδείχτηκε επίσης η υποδιάγνωση των ψυχικών παθήσεων, που είναι ένα γενικότερο πρόβλημα στην Ελλάδα. Οι ραδιοτεχνίτες και οι φλογοχειριστές φαίνονται να εμφανίζουν τα μεγαλύτερα επίπεδα απουσιασμού. Οι παράγοντες που βρέθηκαν να συσχετίζονται θετικά με αυξημένα επίπεδα απουσιασμού είναι η μικρή ηλικία, οι χειρωνακτικές εργασίες, το χαμηλό επίπεδο εκπαίδευσης και η εργασιακή εμπειρία άνω των 3 ετών. Συμπερασματικά, χρειάζονται περαιτέρω μελέτες για να κατανοηθεί πλήρως ο απουσιασμός ασθενείας, σε όλους τους εργασιακούς τομείς και βεβαίως εκπαίδευση του ιατρικού προσωπικού στο θέμα της χορήγησης αναρρωτικών αδειών, όπου θα βοηθούσε η χρήση εργαλείων όπως αυτά που μελετήθηκαν σε αυτή τη διατριβή(πχ Disability Guidelines), και ήδη βρίσκουν εφαρμογή σε άλλες χώρες. / The aim of this study was to estimate the levels and analyse sickness absence in the private sector in Greece, using shipyard and national insurance data. Field data were collected in a cohort of shipyard employees in the period between 1999 and 2006. In addition, national sickness absenteeism data (compensated days) of employees insured at the Social Insurance Institute (IKA, the largest insurance scheme in Greece) were retrieved from the Institute’s annual statistical reports for the period 1987-2006. Low levels of sickness absence in the private sector in Greece have been confirmed by this study, although the findings show that sickness absence in Greece is slightly higher than what the recent international comparative studies indicate. The absenteeism rate was 2.5%, which is one of the lowest in Europe. Nevertheless, due to the fact that it involves working hours which differ from one country to another, it is not often used in the studies despite being the most valid indicator of absence. The average duration of absence for every employee per year was 5.8 days (maximum number was 8 days towards the end of the study). In Europe, the average number of days of sickness absence exceeded 10 days. An interesting finding is the fact that short period absences (<4 days) constituted 25% of the total duration of absences, which could not be calculated until now by the national statistical data of the Social Insurance Institute (IKA). While studying the data of IKA of the last two decades, a sinusoidal-like trend was recorded regarding absenteeism. Declining trend by the end of the 1990s was observed, in accordance with previous studies and then an increasing trend, although at the end of the study period the levels remained lower than those at the beginning. Further research is needed concerning the observations of this study since the low absenteeism levels can only be partially attributed to the low compensation rate in case of sick-leave or to the high levels of unemployment. The primary objective should always be health preservation and promotion of the employees by means of the best possible working conditions. As both working conditions and employees’ health are dynamic situations, monitoring tools are required. Sickness absence should always be monitored by the occupational health physician as well as the employer, using the various established tools. The use of Work Ability Index is recommended as an additional monitoring tool. It is a questionnaire, directly linked to sickness absence, which generally evaluates the employees’ functional ability. The Greek version of Work Ability Index displayed satisfactory psychometric properties and consistency thus constituting an appropriate option for evaluating work ability in both individual and population-based settings. The Bradford factor is another index whose prognostic strength concerning short-term absenteeism was evident in this study. The use of both these tools in the form of one new index (Sickness Absence Probability Factor) is also recommended in order to identify employees and work areas with an increased tendency for sickness absence. During the validation process, the morbidity pattern of the shipyard population also became obvious. Musculoskeletal, respiratory diseases as well as trauma are most prevalent, whereas cardiovascular and mental diseases seem to have the biggest impact on work ability. The underdiagnosis of mental diseases was also revealed, which is a general problem in Greece. Radiomen and flame-cutters seem to have the highest levels of absence, while the factors which were found to be positively linked to high levels of absenteeism are young age, manual labor, low educational level and working experience over 3 years. In conclusion, further research is necessary to fully describe and understand the phenomenon of sickness absence in various work fields. Medical staff training in the area of issuing sick-leave is essential and has already been implemented in other countries. Tools, like the ones studied in this dissertation should be utilized.

No description available.

The background to this thesis is the dramatic increase of the long-term sickness absence that took place in Sweden from the late 1990s. There was also a shift in the diagnostic pattern with rising mental diagnoses. The overall purpose was to describe and try to understand the process leading to long-term sickness absence from the perspective of the sickness absentees, in order to get a better knowledge base for preventive and rehabilitative actions. The thesis comprises four studies (I-IV). Research methods have been both qualitative and quantitative. In study I data from individual interviews with 32 persons on long-term sick leave due to burnout was analyzed using a grounded theory approach. In study II the study population comprised of 2064 employed sick-listed persons, a sub sample derived from the 2002 national Swedish survey on health, working conditions, life situation and sick-listing. It was analyzed if persons with burnout had higher probability of having experienced the steps in the burnout staircase compared to other diagnostic groups in accordance with the previously suggested hypothesis of "the burnout staircase". Study III comprised of 2521 employed persons, a sub sample derived from the same national survey as in study II. It was analyzed if psychosocial work environment and conflicts and losses in private life independently or in combination were more strongly associated to sickness absence with mental diagnoses as compared to a healthy population. In study IV individual interviews with 25 professional rehabilitation actors and 14 unemployed sick-listed persons were conducted. Data were analyzed according to grounded theory method. The process that led to sicknes absence can be described as an emotional deprivation process, illustrated as a flight of stairs (the burnout staircase) describing a sequence of steps toward sickness absence (I). In accordance with the tested hypothesis persons with burnout to a noticeable higher extent reported expereince of being in the different steps in the burnout staircase compared to sickness absentees with other diagnoses. The model seemed to be valid also for persons with other mental diagnoses (II). Reorganization and conflicts at work as well as adding adverse private life events were associated with increased risk for sickness absence with mental diagnosis (III). Three significant factors behind the weak co-operation between local social insurance and employment agencies were identified: indistinct regulation of co-operation, shifting political goals over time and conflicting goals between agencies (IV). In this thesis it has been suggested that the course of events preceding sickness absence might be understood as a process of emotional deprivation, where the individual is gradually emptied of the life-giving emotional energy revealed in joy, commitment, and empathy. This life-giving force finds its nourishment in safe and secure social relations with others and in a social structure that promotes this type of social relations. The profound changes in the Swedish labour market during the 1990s influenced not just the psychosocial work climate but also the rehabilitation efforts for unemployed sick-listed persons. When the political goal of reducing the unemployment level came to the forefront the indistinct regulation and the conflicting goals in addition were factors that impaired co-ordinated rehabilitation. In this process also the physicians were involved. A labour market problem was turned into a medical problem.

The thesis is focused on the development of health insurance benefits under the social security system in the Czech Republic. Aiming to secure people for future social events, which may be predictable (age) or unpredictable (disability, funeral, sickness, widowhood, etc.) and prevent poverty or the worst consequences. This thesis briefly describes the system of social security. More specifically focuses on health insurance, health insurance benefits and their development. It also contains the characteristics of the selected business entity and cost analysis of selected companies of employing workers and their absence from work, which is associated with the payment of sickness benefits. Finally, it presents the identification of direct and indirect costs associated with health insurance benefits and their impact on the profit of the selected business entity. The conclusion describes the effect of the payment of health insurance benefits for profit companies, including negative and positive impacts.

The diploma thesis called The comparison of medical assessment service (MAS) aim and activities within the health insurance system in the Czech and Slovak Republic and it is focused on the pieces of information related to the system of social security aiming its attention to the health insurance during both the time of Czechoslovakia and its current arrangement of the Czech and Slovak Republics in its theoretical part. Related to that there is also elaborated the issue of the medical assessment service. There is a conclusion of the most important services of the MAS and particular competences of bodies involved into the health insurance. There is also a mention of the body adjusting the public health insurance including the related area of the review medicine to get a more comprehensive view. The diploma thesis main aim is to compare the tasks and activities of the MAS in the Czech and Slovak Republics. There are determined partial aims to get a more comprehensive elaboration. One of them is focused on the benefits that are awarded based on a health condition within the health insurance in these two countries and the other one is the comparison of Czech and Slovak health condition of citizens based on the statistics of temporary sick leaves taking into consideration the conditions while awarding them. The document analysing method is used to reach the aims mentioned above. This method follows Mayring´s proposed plan and the sources where the information was taken from were firstly evaluated from a criteria relevance viewpoint. After that the gained data was compared within a comparative method in a synchronous way. The empiric diploma thesis part contains data organized in well-arranged tables with comments and in the following Chapter 5 Discussion there is data compared according to the methodology mentioned above. The basic system comparison of social security and health insurance in the Czech and Slovak Republics belongs among the topics of the final discussion. The possibility of consolidation of health and social insurances in both countries also taking into consideration the opinions of the involved experts is largely covered here. The most significant discussion focus is the comparison of the aim and activity of the MAS in the Czech and Slovak Republics. The results show that the aim and activity of the MAS are very similar in both countries; which is logical regarding the common historical base. Czech and Slovak main MAS activity within the health insurance is the auditing activity; i.e. the audit of evaluation of the health condition by the involved medical doctor as well as the inspection if the treatment mode of people on sick leave is being followed. It is also possible to notice some nuances in the elaboration in both MAS systems; which are separated today. Regarding the legislation it is possible to say that the Slovak medical assessment service work in a more consistent way that is also supported by the statistic data containing more performed audits of the treatment mode following and a more frequent usage of sanction means towards insurers which is the result of the more detailed strategic planning of inspections. The diploma thesis offers a comparison of health insurance systems and tasks and activities of the MAS in the Czech and Slovak Republics. It can be used as a study document for students of social politics and a social security law. It can also be used as an impulse to other explorations in this area and to start thinking of various possibilities how to arrange the social security system of these two countries.