The impact of Croatia's 2013 Primary Care Payment Reform: an exploratory case study of a rural family practitioner group practice

Aim To explore the effect of Croatia's 2013 Primary Care Payment Reform on patient care. Methods The performance of one rural family practitioner group practice in Breznica was assessed one year before and one year after implementation. Using an exploratory case study design with quantitative methods, we examined outcome variables linked to the new payment model. Drawing on publicly available activity reports, we conducted linear regression analyses to identify potential associations. Results We observed changes in most incentivized outcomes, notably increases in preventive check-ups and decreases in hospital referrals. Some indicators, such as the increase in prescribing despite financial disincentives, remain inconclusive and highlight the need for further investigation. Conclusions These findings are preliminary but provide valuable hypotheses for guiding more rigorous, longitudinal, and multi-site studies.