We read with great interest the paper by Judith Hall and associates on interdisciplinary health research in Canada.1 In the 1990s, Canada contributed significantly to the development of education and research in the health sciences in Hungary after the social and political changes that occurred in Eastern Europe at the beginning of the decade. With the establishment of a health care management training centre in Dobogókõ with the assistance of McGill University, Hungarian health care leaders were able to acquire modern management skills. With the help of Douglas College (New Westminster, BC), bachelor's and master's level programs in nursing were introduced in Hungary. Canadian experts also provided valuable support in introducing health technology assessment.2 In 2006, a new milestone was reached with the establishment of a doctoral program in health sciences at the University of Pécs.
In Hungary, the the definition of health sciences is broader than the 6 basic disciplines discussed by Hall and colleagues; we include some subjects related to economics and management. This broader definition results in a greater possibility for interdisciplinary research in health economics and health services.3,4
REFERENCES
- 1.Hall JG, Bainbridge L, Buchan A, et al. A meeting of minds: interdisciplinary research in the health sciences in Canada. CMAJ 2006;175(7):763-71. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
- 2.Gulácsi L. Hungarian health care in transition: studies on the improvement of the effectiveness of health care in Hungary by implementing quality assurance [dissertation]. Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam; 2001.
- 3.Boncz I, Dozsa C, Kalo Z, et al. Development of health economics in Hungary between 1990-2006. Eur J Health Econ 2006;7(S1):4-6.
- 4.Boncz I, Sebestyen A. Health services research in Hungary. Med J Aust 2006;184(12):646-7. [DOI] [PubMed]