17.F. Workshop: Building preconception care into existing health services: challenges and opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Preconception Care ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Preconception Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Congenital Defects ◽  
Parental Health ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Maternal health and health behaviours prior to conception have significant short and long term impacts on maternal and child health. The World Health Organization acknowledges the importance of health care before conception-referred to as 'preconception care' (PCC) -to reduce maternal and childhood morbidity and mortality. PCC is an approach to health promotion and preventive medicine that focuses on interventions that identify and modify biomedical, behavioural and social risks to a parental health or pregnancy outcome. By its nature, PCC relates to care before pregnancy, whether it be a first pregnancy or between consecutive pregnancies. PCC has received increased attention due to growing evidence that maternal health prior to conception can directly affect the health of the mother and the fetal environment during pregnancy. PCC research emphasises the impact of the fetal environment on adverse outcomes such as miscarriage, stillbirth, congenital disorders, and macrosomia. Parental preconception health also been found to impact on risk of the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and cancer across the life course through epigenetic and other cellular responses to developmental exposures. Parental health behaviours that are important in the context of PCC include diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Similarly, parental exposure to environmental risk factors, such as phthalates, air pollution and pesticides can increase risk of congenital defects, behavioural issues and cancer in the child. Despite the importance of preconception health, and the potential impact of PCC, there are significant translation gaps between the available evidence and public awareness, clinician knowledge and available health services. This workshop aims to facilitate a deep and rich discussion about the challenges and opportunities associated with (1) improving preconception health in the general population and (2) developing PCC services and interventions that align with existing health services and meet population needs and expectations. The workshop will begin with four short presentations (10 minutes) to orient workshop participants to key literature with a focus on the following topics (1) the interface between public health and preconception health and care; (2) nutrition and lifestyle behaviours in the preconception period; (3) environmental exposures in the preconception period; and (4) considerations for person-centred PCC. Following these presentations, the workshop team will facilitate discussions among breakout groups to identify local challenges and opportunities. This workshop will conclude with a shared discussion consolidating the outcomes of the breakout discussions. Key messages Preconception care offers an untapped opportunity to leverage decades of research to develop initiatives that target couples before pregnancy and improve population health for multiple generations. Preconception health initiatives that address local challenges and opportunities may successfully modify parental health behaviours to reduce risk of chronic illness.

scholarly journals Preconception care from a public health perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Steel
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Preconception Care ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Preconception Health ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Grass Roots ◽  
Care Services ◽  
High Level

Abstract Public health researchers and practitioners are committed to developing, implementing and supporting initiatives that improve the health of the population. This presentation will provide an overview of the alignment between public health and preconception health. It will also overview ideas, theories and models that are central to the contemporary understanding of preconception health, such as epigenetics, the diverse preconception health behaviours and exposures that impact on outcomes, and the known barriers affecting the delivery of preconception care services. The presentation will draw on the principles of health promotion, health services research and epidemiology to provide a high-level understanding of the levers underpinning effective preconception health interventions at a policy, health services and grass-roots level.

scholarly journals Improving maternal health services through social accountability interventions in Nepal: an analytical review of existing literature

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adweeti Nepal ◽  
Santa Kumar Dangol ◽  
Anke van der Kwaak
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health System ◽  
Maternal Health Services ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Social Accountability ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The persistent quality gap in maternal health services in Nepal has resulted in poor maternal health outcomes. Accordingly, the Government of Nepal (GoN) has placed emphasis on responsive and accountable maternal health services and initiated social accountability interventions as a strategical approach simultaneously. This review critically explores the social accountability interventions in maternal health services in Nepal and its outcomes by analyzing existing evidence to contribute to the informed policy formulation process. Methods A literature review and desk study undertaken between December 2018 and May 2019. An adapted framework of social accountability by Lodenstein et al. was used for critical analysis of the existing literature between January 2000 and May 2019 from Nepal and other low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) that have similar operational context to Nepal. The literature was searched and extracted from database such as PubMed and ScienceDirect, and web search engines such as Google Scholar using defined keywords. Results The study found various social accountability interventions that have been initiated by GoN and external development partners in maternal health services in Nepal. Evidence from Nepal and other LMICs showed that the social accountability interventions improved the quality of maternal health services by improving health system responsiveness, enhancing community ownership, addressing inequalities and enabling the community to influence the policy decision-making process. Strong gender norms, caste-hierarchy system, socio-political and economic context and weak enforceability mechanism in the health system are found to be the major contextual factors influencing community engagement in social accountability interventions in Nepal. Conclusions Social accountability interventions have potential to improve the quality of maternal health services in Nepal. The critical factor for successful outcomes in maternal health services is quality implementation of interventions. Similarly, continuous effort is needed from policymakers to strengthen monitoring and regulatory mechanism of the health system and decentralization process, to improve access to the information and to establish proper complaints and feedback system from the community to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the interventions. Furthermore, more study needs to be conducted to evaluate the impact of the existing social accountability interventions in improving maternal health services in Nepal.

Challenges and Opportunities for Person Centered Integrated Care Through the Life Course

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-82
Author(s):  
C. Ruth Wilson ◽  
James Appleyard ◽  
Juan E. Mezzich ◽  
Mohammed Abou-Saleh ◽  
Cal Gutkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Transitions Of Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Life Course

 Objective: To examine the opportunities and challenges in achieving person centered integrated care through the life course.  Methods: Critical literature review and evidence based analysis of person-centered integrated care through the life course, combined with expert consultation. The World Health Organization’s “Global Framework on Integrated People-Centred Health Services” is used as a basis.  Results: Using the approach of the life cycle allows connection of persons’ current health status to their sociocultural, biological, and psychological context. Person centered medicine has as its central precept the relationship between the health professional and person seeking care. This principle is the link to primary health care, which is built on a lasting relationship with individuals and populations in their social context.  The patient’s medical home provides one promising model of how health services can be organized to support the full achievement of person centered integrated care. Re-orientation of the health professional education towards generalism, and the development of metrics for measurement of person centered integrated care are required. In 2016 the global crisis in refugees is a particularly prominent challenge for the delivery of person centered integrated care.  Conclusion: Universal health coverage can provide equitable access to person centered integrated care throughout the life course. Specialized expertise and skills are important for caring for persons with specific conditions at particular times in the life course. When care is well-integrated, transitions of care are smooth and the critical paradigm of person-centeredness is retained.  

scholarly journals Changes in Catastrophic Health Expenditures Depending on Health Policies in Turkey

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guvenc Kockaya ◽  
Gülpembe Oguzhan ◽  
Zafer Çalşkan
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Health Expenditures ◽  
Catastrophic Health Expenditure ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Catastrophic Health Expenditures ◽  
The Impact

Without any financial protection out of pocket health expenses are essential both because their increase causes difficulties in accessing higher quality health services for households and more importantly because it complicates access to most basic health services. As a result of the Health Transformation Program in practice in the Turkish healthcare system since 2003, significant changes have been done in all layers of the health system. Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) publishes the ratio of households that bear catastrophic health expenditures since 2002. According to TurkStat data, the ratio of households with catastrophic expenditure has fallen from 0.81% in 2002 to 0.17% in 2011 with the health transformation project. However, it has started to rise since 2012 and has reached 0.31% in 2014. This study aims to evaluate the expenditure items that may have caused the rise of the ratio of households with catastrophic health expenditures since 2012, which had previously dropped with the Health Transformation Program that has caused fundamental changes in health policies. Methodology and definitions presented in the article named “Distribution of health payments and catastrophic expenditures: Methodology” by Ke Xu published by the World Health Organization in 2005 have been used. Percentages of health expenditure items among the total expenditure of households with positive health expenditure and households with catastrophic health expenditure between 2007 and 2014 have been evaluated using descriptive analysis. Findings have been interpreted in light of the health policies in practice between 2007 and 2014. An overview of the impact of the health policies reveals that medicine expenditures have decreased both for household and public health expenditures. Despite the impact of policies on the pharmaceutical industry was criticized by the industry, the positive impact can be seen by the decrease in the spending on medicine for households spending on health. Hospital service with positive health expenditure is seen to decrease health expenditure. The reasons for the increase in households with catastrophic health expenditure need further research. As a result, the study strives to discuss the possible policy reasons for the observed effects.

Looking at the bigger picture: effect of performance-based contracting of district health services on equity of access to maternal health services in Zambia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Collins Chansa ◽  
Mulenga Mary Mukanu ◽  
Chitalu Miriam Chama-Chiliba ◽  
Mpuma Kamanga ◽  
Nicholas Chikwenya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health System ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Maternal Health Services ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
District Level ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
Equity Of Access ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Zambia has been using output-based approaches for over two decades to finance whole or part of the public health system. Between 1996 and 2006, performance-based contracting (PBC) was implemented countrywide with the Central Board of Health (CBoH) as the provider of health services. This study reviews the association between PBC and equity of access to maternal health services in Zambia between 1996 and 2006. A comprehensive document review was undertaken to evaluate the implementation process, followed by a trend analysis of health expenditure at district level, and a segmented regression analysis of data on antenatal care (ANC) and deliveries at health facilities that was obtained from five demographic and health survey datasets (1992, 1996, 2002, 2007 and 2014). The results show that PBC was anchored by high-level political support, an overarching policy and legal framework, and collective planning and implementation with all key stakeholders. Decentralization of health service provision was also an enabling factor. ANC coverage increased in both the lower and upper wealth quintiles during the PBC era, followed by a declining trend after the PBC era in both quintiles. Further, the percentage of women delivering at health facilities increased during the PBC era, particularly in rural areas and among the poor. The positive trend continued after the PBC era with similar patterns in both lower and upper wealth quintiles. Despite these gains, per capita health expenditure at district level declined during the PBC era, with the situation worsening after the PBC era. The study concludes that a nationwide PBC approach can contribute to improved equity of access to maternal health services and that PBC is a cost-efficient and sustainable policy reform. The study calls for policymakers to comprehensively evaluate the impact of health system reforms before terminating them.

The association between Internet use and health outcomes in the population of older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Szulc ◽  
M Duplaga
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The Internet has become one of the primary sources of health-related information. Less is known about the impact of Internet access and use on health-related outcomes in the older population, which frequently suffer from a digital divide. The main objective of this study was the assessment of the associations between Internet use and variables reflecting health status, the use of health services and health behaviours in the population at least 50 years old. Methods The analysis was carried out on the data set from the telephone-based survey in a sample of 1000 respondents representative for targeted age strata of Polish society. The effects of Internet use were assessed with logistic regression models after adjusting for key socioeconomic variables. Results Mean age (standard deviation) of respondents was 64.2 (9.6). In the study group, 51.1% respondents were Internet users, 19.4% - persons with disabilities, 21.2% were hospitalised at least once, and 51.0% visited health care facilities at least six times in preceding 12 months. The respondents being Internet users less frequently reported chronic diseases (OR, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.16-0.30), disability status (0.52, 0.37-0.72) and higher self-assessed health status (1.64, 1.24-2.16). They also less often used health services in the preceding 12 months (0.77, 0.60-0.99. Internet use was not associated with hospital admission in the preceding year (1.04, 0.76-1.41) and most of the health behaviours (smoking: 1.06, 0.77-1.45, physical activity: 0.85, 0.63-1.15, the consumption of fruits and vegetables: 0.73, 0.50-1.07). Interestingly, Internet users drunk more alcohol (1.52, 1.14-2.02). Conclusions In the population of older adults, the use of the Internet is associated with variables reflecting health status and the utilisation of health services. Higher health status and lower prevalence of chronic conditions among Internet users were found after adjusting for age and other socioeconomic factors. Key messages It was shown that Internet use may be related with more favourable health outcomes. The reported association should trigger further research on the impact of Internet in elderly persons.

scholarly journals Safer Hospitals in North Queensland - Assessment of Resilience

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s80-s80
Author(s):  
Jenny Luke ◽  
Richard Franklin ◽  
Peter Aitkin ◽  
Joanne Dyson
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Critical Systems ◽  
Tertiary Referral Center ◽  
Community Benefits ◽  
Hospital Safety ◽  
The Impact

Introduction:Hospitals are fundamental infrastructure, and when well-designed can provide a trusted place of refuge and a central point for health and wellbeing services in the aftermath of disasters. The ability of hospitals to continue functioning is dependent on location, the resilience of buildings, critical systems, equipment, supplies, and resources as well as people. Working towards ensuring that the local hospital is resilient is essential in any disaster management system and the level of hospital resilience can be used as an indicator in measuring community resilience. The most popular measure of hospital resilience is the World Health Organisation’s Hospital Safety Index (HSI) used in over 100 countries to assess and guide improvements to achieve structurally and functionally disaster resilient hospitals. Its purpose is to promote safe hospitals where services “remain accessible and functioning at maximum capacity, and with the same infrastructure, before, during and immediately after the impact of emergencies and disasters.” It identifies likely high impact hazards, vulnerabilities, and mitigation/improvement actions.Aim:The HSI can be a valuable tool as part of the 2015-2030 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. However, to date, it has been used infrequently in developed countries. This project pilots the application of the HSI across seven facilities in a North Queensland health service (an area prone to cyclones and flooding), centered on a tertiary referral center, each providing 24-hour emergency health services.Results:Key indicators of resilience and the result of the audit will be discussed within geographical and cultural contexts, including the benefits of the HSI in augmenting existing hospital assessment and accreditation processes to identify vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies.Discussion:The research outcomes are to be used by the health service to improve infrastructure and provide anticipated community benefits, especially through the continuation of health services post disasters.

scholarly journals A review of the impact of financing mechanisms on maternal health care in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haylee Fox ◽  
Stephanie M. Topp ◽  
Emily Callander ◽  
Daniel Lindsay
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Maternal Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
Search Engine ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Maternal Health Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Google Search ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Out Of Pocket Costs

Abstract Background The World Health Organization states there are three interrelated domains that are fundamental to achieving and maintaining universal access to care - raising sufficient funds for health care, reducing financial barriers to access by pooling funds in a way that prevents out-of-pocket costs, and allocating funds in a way that promotes quality, efficiency and equity. In Australia, a comprehensive account of the mechanisms for financing the health system have not been synthesised elsewhere. Therefore, to understand how the maternal health system is financed, this review aims to examine the mechanisms for funding, pooling and purchasing maternal health care and the influence these financing mechanisms have on the delivery of maternal health services in Australia. Methods We conducted a scoping review and interpretative synthesis of the financing mechanisms and their impact on Australia’s maternal health system. Due to the nature of the study question, the review had a major focus on grey literature. The search was undertaken in three stages including; searching (1) Google search engine (2) targeted websites and (3) academic databases. Executive summaries and table of contents were screened for grey literature documents and Titles and Abstracts were screened for journal articles. Screening of publications’ full-text followed. Data relating to either funding, pooling, or purchasing of maternal health care were extracted for synthesis. Results A total of 69 manuscripts were included in the synthesis, with 52 of those from the Google search engine and targeted website (grey literature) search. A total of 17 articles we included in the synthesis from the database search. Conclusion Our study provides a critical review of the mechanisms by which revenues are raised, funds are pooled and their impact on the way health care services are purchased for mothers and babies in Australia. Australia’s maternal health system is financed via both public and private sources, which consequentially creates a two-tiered system. Mothers who can afford private health insurance – typically wealthier, urban and non-First Nations women - therefore receive additional benefits of private care, which further exacerbates inequity between these groups of mothers and babies. The increasing out of pocket costs associated with obstetric care may create a financial burden for women to access necessary care or it may cause them to skip care altogether if the costs are too great.

scholarly journals Health Workers’ Perspectives on Infrastructure to Support Maternal Health Services in Rural Areas of Vietnam

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-61
Author(s):  
Thi Hoai Thu Nguyen ◽  
Fiona McDonald ◽  
Andrew Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Maternal Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Maternal Health Services ◽  
District Health ◽  
Health Centres ◽  
The Impact

Background: One common governance issue faced by developing countries is the establishment and maintenance of infrastructure to support the delivery of primary health services. This qualitative study explores the perspective of maternal health workers on how infrastructure impacts the provision of maternity services in rural areas in Vietnam. Methods: Forty-one health workers and health managers at the commune, district and provincial levels of the Vietnamese public health system were interviewed. Questions focused on the impact of various organisational factors, including the impact of infrastructure on the performance of the health workforce, which provides publicly funded primary care. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded for thematic analysis. Findings: Participants noted that infrastructure directly affected their ability to perform certain tasks and could both directly and indirectly negatively impact their motivation. In general, participants noted a lack of investment in infrastructure for the provision of primary care services in rural areas. They identified that there were deficits in the availability of utilities and the adequacy of facilities. Conclusion: This research contributes to understanding the barriers to the provision of primary care in developing countries and in particular. The current inadequacy of facility buildings and inadequacy of clean water supply are issues for health workers in meeting the technical requirements of the standards as set out in the National Guidelines on reproductive health, and lead to safety concerns for the quality of maternal health services provided in commune health centres and District Health Centres. Abbreviations: CHC – Commune Health Centres; DHC – District Health Centre; HW – Health Worker.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document