Hospital care services for digestive diseases in Italy: The first quantitative assessment

The scarcity of human and structural resources for specialized gastroenterology care is a problem in many Western countries. Data regarding the resources for Italian Gastroenterology, so far lacking, have been thus searched and evaluated. Based on an agreement protocol between the Italian Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists (AIGO) and the Ministry of Health, national data regarding all Institutions providing gastroenterological care were analysed. Hospital beds in Gastroenterology units are presented by region, regimen of stay and per million inhabitants as of January 2011.Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists also performed a survey of gastroenterology units in all Italian regions regarding number of ordinary/day hospital beds and the number of staff gastroenterologists.The Ministry data showed a total of 174 Gastronterology Units in Italy, a total of 2062 hospital beds for the discipline, for a proportion of 34.2 beds per million inhabitants.The Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists survey showed a total of 1425 gastroenterologists in Italy.These data should represent a key reference for appropriate planning of specialized care for digestive diseases.