Use of health care services during the Covid-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: Evidence from a health facility survey

Abstract Introduction: In recent years Ethiopia has made enormous strides in enhancing access to health care, especially, maternal and child health care (MCH). With the onset and spread of Covid-19, the attention of the health care system has pivoted to handling the disease, potentially at the cost of other health care needs. This paper explores whether this shift has come at the cost of non Covid related health care, especially the use of MCH services. Methods: Graphs, descriptive statistics and paired t-tests of significance are used to compare levels of inpatient and outpatient health care service utilization before and after the onset and spread of the virus. The analysis is based on a survey of 59 health centers and 29 public hospitals located in urban Ethiopia, the most acutely affected region of the country. Data on the use of health care services for a period of 24 months was gathered from the health management information systems (HMIS) of these facilities. Results: There is a sharp reduction in the use of both inpatient (20-27%) and outpatient (27-34%) care, particularly in Addis Ababa, which has been most acutely affected by the virus. However, the decline does not come at the cost of MCH services. The use of several MCH components (skilled birth attendant deliveries, immunization, post-natal care) remains unaffected throughout the period while others (family planning services, ante-natal care) experience a decline (8-17%) in the immediate aftermath but recover soon after. Conclusion: Concerns about the crowding out of MCH services due to the focus on Covid 19 are unfounded. Pro-active measures taken by the government and health care facilities to ring-fence the use of essential health care services have mitigated service disruptions. The results underline the resilience and agility displayed by one of the worlds most resource-constrained health care systems.

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Use of health care services 6 months following major trauma

Australian Health Review ◽

10.1071/ah070628 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 628 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Belinda J Gabbe ◽

Ann M Sutherland ◽

Owen D Williamson ◽

Peter A Cameron

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Service Use ◽

Major Trauma ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Care Service ◽

Health Care Service ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Care Services ◽

Use Of Health Care

To establish the use of health care services 6 months following major trauma, 243 blunt major trauma patients were recruited during their acute hospital stay and followed up by telephone interview at 6 months post-injury. Data collected at 6 months included health care service usage and their level of disability according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale ? Extended (GOSE). Ninety-four percent of patients were living in the community at 6 months, and most (69%) reported continued use of health care services. Of those with ongoing disability, non-compensable patients were significantly more likely (OR 3.7; 95% CI, 1.6?8.6) to have ceased health care service use than compensable patients, independent of injury severity.

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Preventable infant mortality and quality of health care: maternal perception of the child's illness and treatment

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2002000600004 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 1519-1527 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Salime Hadad ◽

Elisabeth França ◽

Elizabeth Uchôa

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Qualitative Methodology ◽

Care Service ◽

Health Care Service ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Health Care Personnel ◽

Care Services ◽

Belo Horizonte

This study used a qualitative methodology to analyze the discourse of mothers from Greater Metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, whose infant children had died from what were considered avoidable causes (diarrhea, malnutrition, and pneumonia), seeking to elucidate the factors associated with utilization of health care services. Identification of the illness by the mother was related to perception of specific alterations in the child's state of health. Analysis of the alterations helped identify the principal characteristics ascribed to each alteration and their relationship to the search for treatment. The authors also studied the mother's assessment of treatment received at health care facilities; 43.0% of the cases involved problems related to the structure of health care services or the attending health care professionals. In 46.0% of the cases, mothers associated the child's death with flaws in the health care service. The study group showed a variety of interpretations of illness, often distinct from the corresponding biomedical concepts. The fact that attending health care personnel overlooked or underrated the mother's perception of the illness and the lack of communications between health care personnel and the child's family had an influence on the child's evolution and subsequent death.

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FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PENGAMBILAN KEPUTUSAN DALAM PENGGUNAAN LAYANAN KESEHATAN PADA WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS TAWIRI

Media Ilmu Kesehatan ◽

10.30989/mik.v6i2.188 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 129-138

Author(s):

Arwyn W Nusawakan ◽

Sanfia Tesabela Messakh ◽

Sevnat Jambormias

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Decision Making ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Illness Perception ◽

Professional Services ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Care Services ◽

The Cost ◽

Use Of Health Services

Background: Health is one of the important aspects in human life that will be maintained. The effort to maintain includes the right of decision-making to use health services provided in the community. Data on access to health services and facilities shows low number of visits to these facilities and it arises the question of the reason behind the low number of access. Objective: The purpose is to identify factors affecting the decision-making in the use of health services by the community of Hative Besar Village, Ambon-Maluku. Method: The approach used in this study is qualitative descriptive. Data is collected through semi-structured, in-depth interview. 8 natives of Hative Besar Village, Ambon-Maluku are involved as research participants. Result: Decision making in the use of health services by the community influenced by health-illness perception, professional services and the experience of using health care services are major factors that influence the Hative Besar village perception and later cause the emergence of factors decision in family and the cost. Conclusion: Factors that influence the decision-making by the community of Hative Besar Village in the use of health care facilities are health-illness perception, the experience of using health care services, professional services, decision in family and the cost. Keywords: Health, decision, community, health care

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Direct and indirect cost of managing Alzheimer’s disease in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Iranian Journal of Neurology ◽

10.18502/ijnl.v18i1.940 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Zahra Aajami ◽

Abbas Kebriaeezadeh ◽

Shekoufeh Nikfar

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Care Service ◽

Health Care Service ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Services ◽

The Cost

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects a large number of adults annually all around the world. The monetary cost of this disorder is huge. This study aims to estimate the cost of AD in Iran by considering stages of disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed from July to December 2017 on 300 AD cases who referred to the Iran Alzheimer’s Association, Tehran, Iran. To calculate costs at different stages of disease, patients were assigned into three groups, based on the MiniMental State Exam (MMSE) score. A list of medicines’ prices and health care service costs were prepared. Health care services’ cost was acquired from the book of “Relative value units of health care services in Iran” and the price of medicines was extracted from "Iran’s medicine triple prices list". Patients’ medical records and face to face interview with their caregivers were used for data collection. The perspective of present research was societal. Results: Annually, per person cost of AD in mild, moderate, and severe stages of disease were 434 United States dollars (USD), 1313 USD, and 2480 USD, respectively. Direct non-medical costs (DNMC) had the greatest share of total costs (near half of the whole costs) including 263 USD, 641 USD, and 1257 USD for mild, moderate, and severe stages, respectively. Conclusion: The cost of AD in Iran is lower than the average cost of dementia in upper middle-income countries. In all stages, the biggest part of the cost is associated with patient care and nursing services because patients suffering from AD usually require specialized cares.

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