Estado de la neumología pública en Catalu？a: estudio comparativo entre 1993 y 2003

the aim of this study was to perform a descriptive analysis of the state of public pneumology in catalonia (spain) in 2003 and to compare the results with data from 1993. a questionnaire was sent to all hospitals of the public hospitals network in catalonia requesting information on the number of pulmonologists. to determine the number of pulmonologists working in primary care, we also contacted all the primary care services (pcs) in catalonia. all the hospitals and pcs contacted responded. eighty-three percent of the public network hospitals had a pneumology service. from 1993-2003, the proportion of hospitals with this specialty increased. the rate of pulmonologists per 100,000 persons for the whole of catalonia was 3.15. the degree of implantation of pneumology in the public hospitals network of catalonia significantly improved in the decade between 1993 and 2003.