Integrating Traditional Healers into the Health Care System: Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Northern Ghana

Given the benefits and likely future applications, there is an urgent need to expand the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in breast, lung, and unknown primary cancers in Colombia. The objective of this review is to address the barriers limiting access to the use of NGS in Colombia, specifically for patients with breast, lung, and unknown primary cancers in the public health care system. A selected Panel of Colombian experts in NGS were provided with a series of relevant questions to address in a multiday conference. Each narrative was discussed and edited by the Panel through numerous drafts and rounds of discussion until consensus was achieved. There are limitations to the widespread adoption of innovative technology inherent to the Colombian health care system. Barriers identified to implementing NGS in Colombia include availability, accessibility, and affordability; limited infrastructure; training and awareness of health personnel; quality-control procedures; and collection of local data. Stakeholders must align to adapt the implementation of NGS to the constraints of resource-limited environments. Diagnostic algorithms were developed to guide molecular testing for lung, breast, and unknown primary cancers. Recommendations on overcoming the barriers to the widespread adoption of NGS include country-specific molecular testing guidelines, creating a national genetic registry, improving infrastructure, and creating health policy that favors the adoption of innovative technology.

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Role of Comparative Effectiveness Research in Cancer Funding Decisions in Ontario, Canada

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2012.42.1958 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 (34) ◽

pp. 4262-4266 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jeffrey S. Hoch ◽

David C. Hodgson ◽

Craig C. Earle

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care System ◽

Comparative Effectiveness Research ◽

Comparative Effectiveness ◽

The United States ◽

Effectiveness Research ◽

Expensive Drug ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Care System

Recently, the evidence-based drug funding process in Ontario, Canada, was challenged by a young mother with a breast tumor too small, based on the evidence that existed at the time, to qualify for an expensive drug. In reality, this is only the latest in a number of challenges the publicly funded health care system has had to deal with in the face of an evolving drug policy landscape. This article defines comparative effectiveness research (CER), considering how it is viewed differently in the United States and Canada. It also reviews the role CER now plays in the Ontario drug funding process and concludes with a review of the challenges and opportunities of using observational data to conduct CER and incorporate it into policy making within a universal health care system. Many of the issues faced by Ontario are relevant beyond Canada, including in the United States during this period of health care reform.

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Attitudes of traditional healers towards Western medicine in rural Cameroon

Tropical Doctor ◽

10.1258/0049475054620653 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 161-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Lucie M Heinzerling

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Primary Health Care ◽

Health Care System ◽

Western Medicine ◽

Traditional Healers ◽

Primary Health Care System ◽

Biomedical Knowledge ◽

District Health ◽

Primary Health ◽

Care System

A range of AIDS prevention programmes suggested that cooperation between traditional healers and the biomedical primary health-care system would benefit patients. To assess the knowledge and attitudes of traditional healers in Cameroon towards Western medicine and evaluate their willingness to cooperate with the district health-care system, a qualitative study was undertaken. In this study, 16 randomly chosen traditional healers in Kumba, Cameroon, were interviewed. Western medicine was well accepted for certain indications and referral of patients to health-care centres was frequently practised. All healers stated that they wished to cooperate more extensively with the district primary health-care system and to obtain more biomedical knowledge. Closer cooperation between traditional healers and the district primary health-care system is possible. The frequent occurrence of illiteracy must be considered when designing health education for traditional healers.

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