Planning health services

2020 ◽  
pp. 402-411
Author(s):  
David Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Health Service Planning ◽  
Soft Systems ◽  
Successes And Failures

This chapter shows you how to contribute to planning health services successfully at strategic and operational levels. It first explains what health service planning is and the nature of health services as mainly ‘soft’ systems. It provides a conceptual framework for planning and then goes through steps and tasks in planning. It then suggests some ways of overcoming pitfalls, notes some common fallacies about planning, and provides a real planning case study with its successes and failures. Finally, it notes ways to assess how well you are doing

scholarly journals How to increase the value of self-reported health service data by using data linkage: a case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
W Peng ◽  
J Maguire ◽  
A Hayen ◽  
J Adams ◽  
D Sibbritt
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Stroke Prevention ◽  
Data Linkage ◽  
Recurrent Stroke ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Reported Data

Abstract Background This is a case study for recurrent stroke prevention. Lifestyle factors account for about 80% of the risk of recurrent stroke. Most health services studies examining stroke prevention rely on stroke survivors' self-reported lifestyle behaviour data. How can researchers increase the value of collected self-reported data to provide additional information for more comprehensive assessments? Methods 45 and Up Study is the largest ongoing study in the Southern Hemisphere focusing on the health of people aged 45 years and older living in NSW, Australia. This case study linked self-reported longitudinal lifestyle data in the 45 and Up Study, with corresponding mortality data (i.e. NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages & NSW Cause of Death Unit Record File) and hospital data (i.e. NSW Admitted Patient Data Collection) via the Centre for Health Record Linkage (CHeReL). The main outcome measures are health services, clinical outcomes, and mortality rates for stroke care. The analyses will include descriptive analysis, multivariate regression analysis, and survival analysis. Results A total of 8410 stroke survivors who participated in the 45 and Up Study were included in this data linkage study. From January 2006 to December 2015, 99249 hospital claims (mean: 13 times admission to hospital per person) and 2656 death registration records have been linked to these participants. The mean age of the stroke survivors was 72 (SD = 11) years, with 56% being males. These results are preliminary and more analyses will be conducted by using quality of life status, clinical diagnosis, comorbidities, and procedures. Conclusions Data linkage enables researchers to generate comprehensive findings on health services studies and gain a more holistic understanding of the determinants and outcomes of stroke prevention with lower data collection costs and less burden on participants. Key messages Data linkage brings about a new opportunity for self-reported data on health services utilisation. It is a cost-effective way to enhance existing self-reported data via the data linkage approach to increase its usefulness for informing health service planning.

scholarly journals Qualitative analysis of the coordination of major system change within the Colombian health system in response to COVID-19: study protocol

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Turner ◽  
Natalia Niño
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health System ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
National Level ◽  
System Change ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Service Planning

Abstract Background Coronavirus (COVID-19) is posing a major and unprecedented challenge to health service planning and delivery across health systems internationally. This nationally funded study is analysing the response of the Colombian health system to the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on qualitative case studies of three local health systems within the country. The approach will be informed by the concept of ‘major system change’—or coordinated change among a variety of healthcare organizations and other relevant stakeholders— to identify processes that both enable and inhibit adaptation of health services to the challenges presented by COVID-19. The study will collect information on capacity ‘bottlenecks’ as well as successful practices and forms of innovation that have emerged locally, which have the potential for being ‘scaled up’ across Colombia’s health services. Methods/design This qualitative study will be undertaken in two phases. In the first, up to 30 stakeholder interviews will be conducted to ascertain immediate challenges and opportunities for improvement in response to COVID-19 that can be shared in a timely way with health service leaders to inform health service planning. The stakeholders will include planning, provider and intermediary organizations within the health system at the national level. In the second, up to 60 further interviews will be conducted to develop in-depth case studies of three local health systems at the metropolitan area level within Colombia. The interview data will be supplemented with documentary analysis and, where feasible, non-participant observation of planning meetings. Discussion The study’s findings will aid evaluation of the relevance of the concept of major system change in a context of ‘crisis’ decision-making and contribute to international lessons on improving health systems’ capacity to respond to COVID-19 and future pandemics. Study findings will be shared among various stakeholders in the Colombian healthcare system in a formative and timely way in order to inform healthcare planning in response to COVID-19 and future pandemics. Conducting the study at a time of COVID-19 raises a number of practical issues (including physical distancing and pressure on health services) which have been anticipated in the study design and research team’s ways of working.

Rural health services and the task of community participation at the local community level: a case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Wilson ◽  
Amanda Kenny ◽  
Virginia Dickson-Swift
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Rural Health Services ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Rural Health Service

Community participation in health service decision making is entrenched in health policy, with a strong directive to develop sustainable, effective, locally responsive services. However, it is recognised that community participation is challenging to achieve. The aim of the present study was to explore how a rural health service in Victoria enacts community participation at the local level. Using case study methodology, the findings indicate that enactment of community participation is desired by the health service, but a lack of understanding of the concept and how to enact associated policy are barriers that are exacerbated by a lack of resources and community capacity. The findings reveal a disconnect between community participation policy and practice. What is known about the topic? The need to involve communities in health service planning, implementation and evaluation is a feature of health policy across major Western countries. However, researchers have identified a dearth of research on how community participation is enacted at the local service level. What does this paper add? The study that is presented herein addresses a gap in knowledge of community participation policy enactment within a rural health service. Insights are provided into the challenges faced by rural health services, with a disconnect between policy ideal and the reality of implementation. What are the implications for practitioners? Health service staff need clear direction from chief executive officers about the purpose of community participation policy and the expectations for individual roles. Community advisory committees need clarity about the community member role and the processes for making decisions. Services and their boards would benefit from targeted government funding to resource community participation activity.

scholarly journals Index of Access: a new innovative and dynamic tool for rural health service and workforce planning

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. McGrail ◽  
Deborah J. Russell ◽  
John S. Humphreys
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Workforce Planning ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Health Service Planning ◽  
Planning Decisions ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Rural Health Service

Objective Improving access to primary health care (PHC) remains a key issue for rural residents and health service planners. This study aims to show that how access to PHC services is measured has important implications for rural health service and workforce planning. Methods A more sophisticated tool to measure access to PHC services is proposed, which can help health service planners overcome the shortcomings of existing measures and long-standing access barriers to PHC. Critically, the proposed Index of Access captures key components of access and uses a floating catchment approach to better define service areas and population accessibility levels. Moreover, as demonstrated through a case study, the Index of Access enables modelling of the effects of workforce supply variations. Results Hypothetical increases in supply are modelled for a range of regional centres, medium and small rural towns, with resulting changes of access scores valuable to informing health service and workforce planning decisions. Conclusions The availability and application of a specific ‘fit-for-purpose’ access measure enables a more accurate empirical basis for service planning and allocation of health resources. This measure has great potential for improved identification of PHC access inequities and guiding redistribution of PHC services to correct such inequities. What is known about the topic? Resource allocation and health service planning decisions for rural and remote health settings are currently based on either simple measures of access (e.g. provider-to-population ratios) or proxy measures of access (e.g. standard geographical classifications). Both approaches have substantial limitations for informing rural health service planning and decision making. What does this paper add? The adoption of a new improved tool to measure access to PHC services, the Index of Access, is proposed to assist health service and workforce planning. Its usefulness for health service planning is demonstrated using a case study to hypothetically model changes in rural PHC workforce supply. What are the implications for practitioners? The Index of Access has significant potential for identifying how rural and remote primary health care access inequities can be addressed. This critically important information can assist health service planners, for example those working in primary health networks, to determine where and how much redistribution of PHC services is needed to correct existing inequities.

Service planning in the Victorian community health sector

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Véronique Roussy ◽  
Charles Livingstone
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Community Health Services ◽  
Community Health Service ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Health Service Planning ◽  
Comprehensive Service

Until now, comprehensive service planning has been uncommon in the Victorian community health sector. Where it has occurred, it has primarily been undertaken by community health services embedded within larger, hospital-based health services. Reflections on the utility and efficacy of community health service planning are largely absent from the Australian peer-reviewed literature. Using a case study focussed on a specific centre in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, this paper explores how community health service planning is shaped by the current policy context, the legal status of registered community health services, and the data and methodologies available to inform planning. It argues that regular and systematic service planning could support registered community health centres to better understand their unique position within the primary health-care landscape, having regard to their inherent opportunities and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, consistent and effective service planning is proposed to benefit agencies in establishing themselves as critical players in promoting local population health initiatives and driving improved health outcomes.

Health Service Planning in a British New Town

1975 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-439
Author(s):  
John J. A. Reid ◽  
Dulcie G. Gooding
Keyword(s):  
National Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
National Health ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Health Service Planning ◽  
New Town ◽  
New Towns

The initial postwar development of new towns in Britain took place at a time when the present British National Health Service was in its infancy, and few attempts were made to integrate health service planning into the overall planning process. The more recent new towns have been the object of better social planning and, at the same time, the National Health Service has been substantially unified, at first functionally and, in 1974, administratively. In consequence, attempts have been made to use the opportunities which such towns present for planning health services in a comprehensive and integrated manner. The evolution of a planning and implementation structure for health services in Milton Keynes, a new town with a target population of 250,000, is described, together with some of the implications for the administratively unified National Health Service which came into being in 1974.

scholarly journals Qualitative Analysis of the Coordination of Major System Change Within the Colombian Health System in Response to COVID-19: Study Protocol

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Turner ◽  
Natalia Niño
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health System ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
National Level ◽  
System Change ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Service Planning

Abstract Background Coronavirus (COVID-19) is posing a major and unprecedented challenge to health service planning and delivery across health systems internationally. This nationally-funded study is analysing the response of the Colombian health system to the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on qualitative case studies of three local health systems within the country. The approach will be informed by the concept of 'major system change' - or coordinated change among a variety of healthcare organisations and other relevant stakeholders - in order to identify processes that both enable and inhibit adaptation of health services to the challenges presented by COVID-19. The study will collect information on capacity “bottlenecks” as well as successful practices and forms of innovation that have emerged locally, which have the potential for being 'scaled up' across Colombia's health services. Methods/design This qualitative study will be undertaken in two phases. In the first, up to 30 stakeholder interviews will be conducted to ascertain and share immediate challenges and opportunities for improvement in response to COVID-19 that can be shared in a timely way with health service leaders to inform immediate health service planning. The stakeholders will be selected in order to sample a range of planning, provider and intermediary organizations within the health system at the national level. In the second, up to 60 further interviews will be conducted to develop in-depth case studies of three local health systems at the metropolitan area level within Colombia. The interview data will be supplemented with documentary analysis and, where feasible, non-participant observation of meetings directly related to the planning and implementation of actions responding to COVID-19. The study will also establish mechanisms for providing timely, formative feedback to inform health system planning relating to COVID-19 and future pandemics by ascertaining stakeholders' preferences during the interviews and wider scoping discussions. Discussion The study's findings will aid evaluation of the relevance of the concept of major system change in a context of 'crisis' decision-making and contribute to international lessons on improving health systems' capacity to respond to COVID-19 and future pandemics. Study findings will be shared among various stakeholders in the Colombian healthcare system in a formative and timely way in order to inform healthcare planning in response to COVID-19 and future pandemics. Conducting the study at a time of COVID-19 raises a number of practical issues (including physical distancing and pressure on health services) which have been anticipated in the study design and research team's ways of working.

scholarly journals Factors supporting retention of health and wellbeing staff in Aboriginal health services: a strength-based case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Deroy ◽  
Heike Schütze
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Social Accountability ◽  
Cultural Safety ◽  
Staff Retention ◽  
Professional Advancement ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

Abstract Background Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services are fundamental to improving the health and welfare of Aboriginal peoples. A key element that contributes to the effectiveness of these services are Aboriginal health and wellbeing staff. However, Aboriginal health and wellbeing staff often suffer high rates of stress and burnout. Current literature focuses on proposed strategies to increase staff retention in Aboriginal Health Services, yet, there is limited information available showcasing what has actually worked. Method This was an intrinsic strengths-based case study of one regional Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service. Semi-structured research yarning interviews were conducted with past and present staff employed in health and wellbeing roles to highlight the factors that staff felt contributed to their retention. Results Ten interviews were conducted between February and April 2018. Six key themes emerged: social accountability, teamwork and collaboration, cultural safety, supervision, professional advancement, and recognition. We add to the literature by identifying the importance of bi-directional communication, and showing that social accountability, teamwork and collaboration, cultural safety, supervision, professional advancement, and recognition continue to be important factors that contribute to health and wellbeing staff retention in Aboriginal Health Services. Conclusion This exemplar Aboriginal Health Service may provide insights into future strategies to improve staff retention in other health services.

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