Polycentric governance and the provision of free healthcare services at public hospitals in the Philippines

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sawa Omori ◽  
Marah Alagon
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Services ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Policy Actors ◽  
Polycentric Governance ◽  
Free Health Care ◽  
Explanatory Mixed Methods ◽  
Free Healthcare ◽  
Local Levels

Abstract What explains the variation among public hospitals in implementing the free healthcare policy of the Philippines? We draw on Ostrom’s theory of polycentric governance, which assumes that policy actors’ autonomous interactions at various levels produce better policy implementation when managing the provision of public goods. To explain the various degrees of implementation, we analyse the effects of face-to-face horizontal and vertical interactions between public hospitals and other policy actors by employing sequential explanatory mixed methods. Using originally collected survey data of public hospitals in two regions of the Philippines, we quantitatively demonstrate that the vertical interactions between hospitals and implementing agencies at local levels as well as monitoring and prompt disbursement of the costs by the implementation agency matter when seeking to enhance the delivery of free health care at public hospitals in the Philippines. We further qualitatively explore why horizontal and vertical interactions are made possible by comparing three public hospitals.

Management of public healthcare facilities in the Philippines: issues and concerns

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro Z Dela Cruz ◽  
Ruth A Ortega-Dela Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Primary Means ◽  
Insufficient Knowledge

Background/Aims Public hospitals are the primary means of healthcare delivery in developing countries. Given the pressing need for efficient health services, it is imperative to know the extent to which a country's public healthcare institutions meet an ever increasing public demand. This study aimed to assess the state of hospital facilities among public health care institutions in a developing country. Methods Descriptive research methods were used, including needs analysis along with management and client satisfaction surveys, in order to analyse information on issues that related to the management of hospital facilities in the Philippines. Various members of the hospital community were selected to assess different aspects of hospital management. Results The results of this study show that most concerns stemmed from the lack of financial resources, materials, equipment and technological innovations; insufficient knowledge, skills and human resources; and problems that related to processes and methodologies. Conclusions Public hospitals are in dire need of facility upkeep to maintain their operations. This has become a more pressing concern because of the very limited resources at the disposal of public hospitals. This study also highlighted the crucial role played by the national government in finding effective and efficient ways to address these issues and concerns to ensure successful delivery of healthcare services in the country.

Toward establishing telepsychology guideline: Turning the challenges of COVID-19 into opportunity (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed M. J. Alqahtani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Governance Model ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Temporary Response

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has obstructed the classical practices of psychological assessment and intervention via face-to-face interaction. Patients and all health professionals have been forced to isolate and become innovative to continue receiving and providing exceptional healthcare services while minimizing the risk of exposure to, or transmission of, COVID-19. OBJECTIVE This document is proposed initially as a guide to the extraordinary implementation of telepsychology in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to extend its implementation to use fundamentally as the main guideline for telepsychology services in Saudi Arabia and other Arabic communities. METHODS A professional task force representing different areas of professional psychology reviewed, summarized, and documented methods, policies, procedures, and other resources to ensure that the recommendations and evidence reviews were valid and consistent with best practices. RESULTS The practice of telepsychology involves the consideration of legal and professional requirements. This paper provides a guideline and recommendations for procedural changes that are necessary to address psychological services as we transition to telepsychology, as well as elucidates and demonstrates practical telepsychology frameworks, procedures, and proper recommendations for the provision of services during COVID-19. It adds a focused examination and discussion related to factors that could influence the telemedicine guideline, such as culture, religion, legal matters, and how clinical psychologists could expand their telepsychology practice during COVID-19 and after, seeking to produce broadly applicable guidelines for the practice of telepsychology. Professional steps in practical telemedicine were illustrated in tables and examples. CONCLUSIONS Telepsychology is not a luxury or a temporary response. Rather, it should be considered part of a proactive governance model to secure a continuity of mental health care services. Arabic communities could benefit from this guideline to telepsychology as an essential protocol for providing mental health services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Policy implementation analysis on access to healthcare among undocumented immigrants in seven autonomous communities of Spain, 2012–2018

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e045626
Author(s):  
Megi Gogishvili ◽  
Sergio A Costa ◽  
Karen Flórez ◽  
Terry T Huang
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Undocumented Immigrants ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Undocumented Migrants ◽  
Royal Decree ◽  
La Mancha ◽  
Free Healthcare ◽  
Implementation Analysis

BackgroundIn 2012, the Government of Spain enacted Royal Decree-Law (RDL) 16/2012 and Royal Decree (RD) 1192/2012 excluding undocumented immigrants from publicly funded healthcare services. We conducted a policy implementation analysis to describe and evaluate the legal and regulatory actions taken at the autonomous community (AC) level after enactment of 2012 RDL and RD and their impact on access to general healthcare and HIV services among undocumented immigrants.MethodsWe reviewed documents published by the governments of seven ACs (Andalucía, Aragón, Euskadi (Basque Country), Castilla-La Mancha, Galicia, Madrid, Valencia) from April 2012 to July 2018, describing circumstances under which undocumented immigrants would be able to access free healthcare services. We developed indicators according to the main systemic barriers presented in official documents to analyse access to free healthcare across the participating ACs. ACs were grouped under five access categories: high, medium-high, medium, medium-low and low.ResultsAndalucía provided the highest access to free healthcare for undocumented immigrants in both general care and HIV treatment. Medium-high access was provided by Euskadi and medium access by Aragón, Madrid and Valencia. Castilla-La Mancha provided medium-low access. Galicia had low access. Only Madrid and Galicia provided different and higher level of access to undocumented migrants in HIV care compared with general healthcare.ConclusionsImplementation of 2012 RDL and RD across the ACs varied significantly, in part due to the decentralisation of the Spanish healthcare system. The challenge of healthcare access among undocumented immigrants included persistent systemic restrictions, frequent and unclear rule changes, and the need to navigate differences across ACs of Spain.

Smoke-Free Healthcare Services

1995 ◽  
pp. 489-490
Author(s):  
R. Masironi ◽  
T. Hurst
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Free Healthcare

scholarly journals Citizen Awareness and Satisfaction Survey: The Case of Tumauini, Isabela Philippines

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 5478-5487
Author(s):  
Renejoy M. Bulos
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Public Works ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Citizen Satisfaction ◽  
Satisfaction Index ◽  
The People ◽  
Multi Stage

Local governments in the Philippines are the nearest service units to its citizens. They are expected to deliver quality services to their constituents. As recipients of the different services, citizens are deemed in better position to assess whether quality services are delivered by the different municipalities in the country. In order to address the need to gather citizens’ feedback on the service delivery performance of the local government units (LGU), the Department of Interior and Local Government developed the Citizen Satisfaction Index System (CSIS). The municipality of Tumauini in the province of Isabela is one of the selected LGUs to implement the CSIS project in the country to measure its performance in service delivery for 2018. This study assessed the awareness and satisfaction of the people in Tumauini, Isabela on the services for Public Works and Infrastructure delivered by the LGU. There were 150 respondents selected using the multi-stage probability sampling method. In gathering the data needed, face to face interview was used with the aid of survey questionnaire. Overall, results revealed that citizens of Tumauini are aware and satisfied with the different service indicators of the Public Works and Infrastructure programs. Results of the study may help local government officials in crafting policies and making management decisions to improve the performance of the local government of Tumauini in the provision and delivery of Public Works and Infrastructure services to its constituents.

scholarly journals Understanding Local Perceptions of the Drivers/Pressures on the Coastal Marine Environment in Palawan, Philippines

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Roderick V. Madarcos ◽  
Lota A. Creencia ◽  
Bethany R. Roberts ◽  
Mathew P. White ◽  
Johana Nayoan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
Coastal Resource Management ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Gender Education ◽  
Health And Well Being

The Philippines, as a tropical archipelagic country, is particularly vulnerable to environmental changes affecting coastal and marine settings. However, there are limited studies investigating how these changes are perceived by the local populations who depend directly on the marine environment for their livelihoods, health, and well-being, and who are the most vulnerable to such changes. To explore these issues, we conducted an in-home face-to-face structured survey in 10 coastal communities in Palawan, Philippines (n = 431). As part of the survey, respondents were asked to comment on how important they believed a list of 22 drivers/pressures (e.g., “land-use change”) were in affecting their local marine environment. Statistical analysis of this list using Exploratory Factor Analysis suggested the 22 drivers/pressures could be categorized into 7 discrete groups (or in statistical terms “factors”) of drivers/pressures (e.g., “urbanization,” “unsustainable fishing practices” etc.). We then used ordinary least squared regression to identify similarities and differences between the perspectives within and across communities, using various socio-demographic variables. Results suggested that among the seven identified factors, four were perceived by the local communities as making the marine environment worse, two were perceived as having no impact, and one was perceived to be making the marine environment better. Perceptions differed by gender, education, ethnicity, and study site. A subsequent survey with 16 local coastal resource management experts, suggested that public perceptions of the most critical drivers/pressures were broadly consistent with those of this expert group. Our findings highlight how aware local coastal communities are of the drivers/pressures underpinning the threats facing their livelihoods, health, and well-being. Ultimately, this information can support and inform decisions for the management of local marine resources.

The Effect of Telemedicine on Patients’ Compliance in Family Medicine Follow-ups in Qatar

Avicenna ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2022 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaman M. AlAhmad ◽  
Duaa Mahmoud Haggeer ◽  
Abrar Yaser Alsayed ◽  
Mahmoud Y. Haik ◽  
Leen Maen AbuAfifeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Telephone Consultation ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Primary Health Care Centers

Introduction: Telemedicine is the delivery of health care services to patients distantly. During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, telemedicine has become an essential implement in delivering healthcare services worldwide. Accordingly, in March 2020, the Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs) in Qatar has started telephone consultation follow-up appointments in Family Medicine (FM) clinics instead of conventional consultation. Given the limited data about telephone consultations in Qatar, our aim of this study is to investigate the possible impact of telemedicine on chronic disease patients’ follow-up compliance. Methods: This study compares the compliance of adult patients with chronic diseases following-up within FM clinics in Qatar's PHCC through telephone consultations with a minimum of three telephone consultations ordered between April to November 2020, in comparison to the compliance of the same group of patients to their prior face-to-face follow-up consultations in FM clinics with a minimum of three face-to-face ordered follow up appointments between April to November 2019. A cross-sectional study will be carried out to investigate the effect of telephone consultation in PHCC on patients’ compliance with reference to conventional face-to-face consultation. Patients’ data will be received from Health Information Management in twenty-seven PHCCs in Qatar. Conclusion: Due to the limited studies on the effectiveness of telemedicine on patient compliance in FM follow-ups within Qatar's PHCC, comparing patients’ follow-up compliance with telephone consultations to their prior face-to-face consultations would be helpful in assessing patients’ quality of care delivering within FM clinics. With telecommunication being easily accessible and time-efficient, it is believed, when used correctly, it might improve compliance and adherence to the management prescribed by the physician and follow-up appointments in Qatar's PHCC. In addition, this study will help in providing recommendations that could guide the organization on forming policies to be applied in PHCCs after the resolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparative study on Vietnam’s and Philippines' COVID-19 response using historical institutionalism

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Jerome B. Del Rosario ◽  
Francesca Mitchel Ofilada ◽  
Rose Ann D. Vicente
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Healthcare Spending ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Historical Institutionalism ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper analyzed the healthcare systems of the Philippines and Vietnam prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and their strategies on mass testing, contact tracing, quarantine procedures and information dissemination about the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachSteinmo's (2008) historical institutionalism approach was used in this paper. Secondary data gathering, document analysis and comparative process tracing were employed.FindingsThe findings revealed that Vietnam's implementation of its Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in 2007, its relatively low-cost healthcare system, its efficient mass testing and contact tracing strategies and its science-based decisions are contributory to its success in handling the pandemic. Meanwhile, the Philippines failure to enact its Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act in 2013, its costly and dominantly private healthcare system, its heavy focus on strict, long lockdowns and its militarist methods to control the spread of the pandemic were found to be insufficient.Research limitations/implicationsDetailed study on the delivery of healthcare services in marginal areas, healthcare spending for COVID-19 positive individuals and information dissemination strategies about the pandemic were not explored.Practical implicationsHealth institutions can redesign their governance mechanisms by ensuring a cost-effective healthcare system and maximizing resource utilization to ensure efficient management of future pandemics. Moreover, national governments should not compromise their country's healthcare system over the economy during a pandemic.Originality/valueThis paper analyzed the countries' history of healthcare governance and its influence in handling COVID-19 compared to previous studies which only focused on the countries' strategies during the pandemic.

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