scholarly journals The Burden of Communicable Diseases in Lebanon: Trends in the Past Decade

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Sahar Hammoud ◽  
David Onchonga ◽  
Faten Amer ◽  
Béla Kocsis
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Access ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Water Management System ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Limited Health ◽  
Measles Outbreaks

Abstract The present study aims to review the main communicable diseases that experienced an upsurge in the past decade in Lebanon and to highlight the reasons behind this increase. Data of reported communicable diseases from 2010 till 2019 were obtained from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (LMOPH) epidemiological surveillance database. Tuberculosis, measles, mumps, leishmaniasis, and hepatitis A were the main communicable diseases that showed a sharp increase in the past 10 y. Measles outbreaks occurred in 2013 and 2018, leishmaniasis outbreak in 2013, and mumps and hepatitis A outbreaks in 2014. The highest percentages of reported diseases were from Beqaa and North governorates. The massive influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon, together with the poor water management system, poor sanitation, deprived living conditions, and limited health-care access in rural areas might have contributed to the upsurge of communicable diseases. Although the LMOPH succeeded in containing the outbreaks, further efforts are needed to improve the identified gaps to avoid future outbreaks.

ActionHealthNYC: Effectiveness of a Health Care Access Program for the Uninsured, 2016‒2017

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e10
Author(s):  
Rishi K. Sood ◽  
Jin Yung Bae ◽  
Adrienne Sabety ◽  
Pui Ying Chan ◽  
Caroline Heindrichs
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
New York ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care Access ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Access Program

Objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel health care access program (ActionHealthNYC) for uninsured immigrants. Methods. The evaluation was conducted as a randomized controlled trial in New York City from May 2016 through June 2017. Using baseline and follow-up survey data, we assessed health care access, patient experience, and health status. Results.At baseline, 25% of participants had a regular source of care; two thirds had visited a doctor in the past year and reported 2.5 visits in the past 12 months, on average. Nine to 12 months later, intervention participants were 1.2 times more likely to report having a primary care provider (58% vs 46%), were 1.2 times more likely to have seen a doctor in the past 9 months (91% vs 77%), and had 1.5 times more health care visits (4.1 vs 2.9) compared with control participants. Conclusions. ActionHealthNYC increased health care access among program participants. Public Health Implications. State and local policymakers should build on the progress that has been made over the last decade to expand and improve access to health care for uninsured immigrants. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print June 10, 2021: e1–e10. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306271 )

scholarly journals Health Care Access Among Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers, 31 States, 2017-2018

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492199668
Author(s):  
Winifred L. Boal ◽  
Jia Li ◽  
Sharon R. Silver
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Access To Health

Objectives Essential workers in the United States need access to health care services for preventive care and for diagnosis and treatment of illnesses (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19] or other infectious or chronic diseases) to remain healthy and continue working during a pandemic. This study evaluated access to health care services among selected essential workers. Methods We used the most recent data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2017-2018, to estimate the prevalence of 4 measures of health care access (having health insurance, being able to afford to see a doctor when needed, having a personal health care provider, and having a routine checkup in the past year) by broad and detailed occupation group among 189 208 adults aged 18-64. Results Of all occupations studied, workers in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations were most likely to have no health insurance (46.4%). Personal care aides were most likely to have been unable to see a doctor when needed because of cost (29.3%). Construction laborers were most likely to lack a personal health care provider (51.1%) and to have not had a routine physical checkup in the past year (50.6%). Compared with workers in general, workers in 3 broad occupation groups—food preparation and serving; building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; and construction trades—had significantly lower levels of health care access for all 4 measures. Conclusion Lack of health insurance and underinsurance were common among subsets of essential workers. Limited access to health care might decrease essential workers’ access to medical testing and needed care and hinder their ability to address underlying conditions, thereby increasing their risk of severe outcomes from some infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. Improving access to health care for all workers, including essential workers, is critical to ensure workers’ health and workforce stability.

Rural Women Veterans Demographic Report: Defining VA Users’ Health and Health Care Access in Rural Areas

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Brooks ◽  
Nancy Dailey ◽  
Byron Bair ◽  
Jay Shore
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Women Veterans ◽  
Care Access

scholarly journals Measles and Mumps Outbreaks in Lebanon : Trends and Links

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talal El Zarif ◽  
Mohamed Faisal Kassir ◽  
Nazih Bizri ◽  
Ghida Kassir ◽  
Umayya Musharrafieh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Vaccination Status ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Public Database ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Measles Outbreaks ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Abstract: Background: Lebanon has experienced several measles and mumps outbreaks in the past twenty years . In this article, the trend of measles outbreaks in Lebanon was studied in an attempt to outline factors contributing to the failure of elimination plans, and to provide potential solutions. The relationship between measles and mumps outbreaks in Lebanon was described and explored. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of confirmed cases of measles and mumps in Lebanon between 2003 and 2018 collected from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health Epidemiological Surveillance Unit public database was carried out. The information collected was graphically represented taking into consideration dates of cases, age groups affected, and vaccination status. Results: The mean number of measles cases was 150.25 cases/year in the 1-4 years age group, 87 cases/year in individuals aging between 5 and 14, and 63.68 cases/year in those > 14 years old. In the latter group, only 18.05% were unvaccinated. The mean number of mumps cases was 30.4 cases/year in the <4 year age group and 53.8 cases/year in the 10-19 years age group. During the study period, every spike in measles cases was followed by a similar spike in mumps. 9.66% of measles cases occurred in individuals who received at least 2 doses of the vaccine, 52.26% in the unvaccinated, and 38% in those whose vaccination status was undetermined. Conclusions: Measles in Lebanon is a disease of the pediatric population, but adults remain at risk. Outbreaks of mumps followed those of measles and were mainly among adolescents. Presence of a large number of Syrian refugees in the country may further complicate the situation. Vaccination activities need to be intensified. Keywords: Measles, mumps, elimination, vaccine, Lebanon.

Medicaid's Post-ACA Paradoxes

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-632
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Grogan
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Medicaid Program ◽  
Working Adults ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care Access ◽  
American States ◽  
The Us ◽  
Improve Health

Abstract Medicaid's experience one decade after the passage of the Affordable Care Act represents extreme divergence across the American states in health care access and utilization, policy designs that either expand or restrict eligibility, and delivery model reforms. The past decade has also witnessed a growing ideological divide about the very purpose and intent of the Medicaid program and its place within the US health care system. While liberal-leaning states have actively embraced the program and used it to expand health coverage to working adults and families as an effort to improve health and prevent poverty and the insecurity and instability that comes with high medical costs (evictions, bankruptcy), conservative states have actively rejected this expanded idea of Medicaid and argued instead that the program should revert back to its “original” purpose and be used only for the “truly” needy. This article highlights several paradoxes within Medicaid that have led to this growing bifurcation, and it concludes by shedding light on important targets for future reform.

Stabilizing and Strengthening the Affordable Care Act: Opportunities for a New Administration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey McMorrow
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Affordable Care Act ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Federal Law ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The Affordable Care Act ◽  
The Law

Abstract Over the past decade, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has successfully reduced uninsurance and improved access to and affordability of health care services for millions of Americans. But the law has been weakened over the past four years as the Trump administration shortened the open enrollment period in the federal Marketplace, reduced outreach and enrollment funding, and revised the public charge rule, among other actions. The incoming Biden administration will have the chance to reverse some of these changes and further strengthen the law to improve health care access and affordability. In this paper, I explore options to expand access to affordable coverage and care for those who do not qualify for Medicaid or Marketplace financial assistance, and further discuss opportunities to increase enrollment among those who are already eligible. I also examine opportunities to expand access to specific services, including reproductive health care, among those with insurance. Any attempts to modify or build upon the ACA will likely be complicated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as well as a divided Congress, but regulatory solutions will likely be easier to achieve than those that require changes to federal law or state policy.

Limited Health Care Access Impairs Glycemic Control in Low Income Urban African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 734-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary K Rhee ◽  
Curtiss B Cook ◽  
Virginia G Dunbar ◽  
Rita M Panayioto ◽  
Kathy J Berkowitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Health Care ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Glycemic Control ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Limited Health

scholarly journals Medical Informatics in Morocco

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 190-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bennani Othmani ◽  
S. Diouny ◽  
O. Bouhaddou
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Medical Specialty ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Care Access

Summary Objectives: Informatics is an essential tool for helping to transform healthcare from a paper-based to a digital sector. This article explores the state-of-the-art of health informatics in Morocco. Specifically, it aims to give a general overview of the Moroccan healthcare system, the challenges it is facing, and the efforts undertaken by the informatics community and Moroccan government in terms of education, research and practice to reform the country's health sector. Methods: Through the experience of establishing Medical Informatics as a medical specialty in 2008, creating a Moroccan Medical Informatics Association in 2010 and holding a first national congress took place in April 2012, the authors present their assessment of some important priorities for health informatics in Morocco. Results: These Moroccan initiatives are facilitating collaboration in education, research, and implementation of clinical information systems. In particular, the stakeholders have recognized the need for a national coordinator office and the development of a national framework for standards and interoperability. Conclusion: For developing countries like Morocco, new health IT approaches like mobile health and trans-media health advertising could help optimize scarce resources, improve access to rural areas and focus on the most prevalent health problems, optimizing health care access, quality, and cost for Morocco population.

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