Aim. Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007. This study aims to analyse Bulgarian scientific health output over a five year period before enlargement, highlighting both its interests and concordance with European health recommendations. Methods. A bibliometric analysis was undertaken in MEDLINE between 2000 and 2004 according to a year-by-year bibliographic search. The articles were classified by fourteen fields according to the main European Union health report recommendations. Results. 2,176 articles were found, distributed as follows: 15.63% in 2000, 20.50% in 2001, 20.63% in 2002, 19.9% in 2003 and 23.25% in 2004. 89.48% of the articles were written in English, 78.81% of the total scientific output was published abroad. Most of the articles were signed by Bulgarian authors and were carried out in Bulgarian research centers. Conclusion. Increased number of articles was noted mainly in the basic research field and global clinical medicine. Bulgarian research priorities generally were aligned with the European Union health recommendations. More sources are recommended to be consulted and more analysis conducted of the Bulgarian research.

Alicante University Department of Public Health Alicante

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