Analysis of introducing e-services: a case study of Health Insurance Fund of Macedonia

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 354-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goce Gavrilov ◽  
Elena Vlahu- Gjorgievska ◽  
Vladimir Trajkovik
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Insurance Fund ◽  
Health Insurance Fund ◽  
Content Type ◽  
It Systems ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Information systems play a significant role in the improving of health and healthcare, as well as in the planning and financing of health services. Fund’s Information System is an essential component of the information infrastructure that allows assessment of the impact of changes in health insurance and healthcare for the population. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview of the affection of e-services and electronic data exchange (between Fund’s information systems and other IT systems) at the quality of service for insured people and savings funds. Design/methodology/approach – The authors opted for an exploratory study using the e-services implemented in Health Insurance Fund (HIF) of Macedonia and data which were complemented by documentary analysis, including brand documents and descriptions of internal processes. In this paper is presented an analysis of the financial aspects of some e-services in HIF of Macedonia by using computer-based information systems and calculating the financial implications on insured people, companies and healthcare providers. Findings – The analysis conducted in this paper shows that the HIF’s e-services would have a positive impact for the insured people, healthcare providers and companies when fulfilling their administrative obligations and exercising their rights. Originality/value – The analysis presented in this paper can serve as a valuable input for the healthcare authorities in making decisions related to introducing e-services in healthcare. These enhanced e-services will improve the quality service of the HIF.

Impact of catheter ablation therapy for atrial fibrillation on healthcare expenditures in a middle European cohort

EP Europace ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 576-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Martinek ◽  
Helmut Pürerfellner ◽  
Hermann Blessberger ◽  
Gerald Pruckner
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Sick Leave ◽  
Insurance Fund ◽  
Health Insurance Fund ◽  
Healthcare Expenditures ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Ablation Therapy ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Aims Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent arrhythmia in western countries. It is associated with increased mortality and morbidity and responsible for hospitalization rates of 10–40% per patient per year. Studies from the UK and the USA have shown that AF is responsible for ∼1% of the total healthcare expenditures in these countries. The only potentially curative treatment is pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Published health economic data on the impact of PVI mainly consist of simulations of expenditures with assumed efficacy taken from ablation studies. Real expenditure data are missing as well as pre-ablation period data and long-term data. Methods and results We analyse true healthcare expenditures based on inpatient and outpatient data from the Upper Austrian Health Insurance Fund social security system of patients undergoing PVI during 2005 to 2015. We identified 1135 patients undergoing PVI with 268 having multiple procedures. Days of hospitalization and days of sick leave started to rise in the year before ablation. PVI was able to lower both parameters to the level of 1 year before ablation. Comparing four quarters before and after a single-index ablation, a highly significant reduction in inpatient healthcare expenditures was documented. There was a significant, but numerically small increase in outpatient expenditures, resulting in a significant reduction in overall healthcare expenditures. Conclusion Analysing a cohort of the Upper Austrian Health Insurance Fund undergoing PVI, we found significant cost-saving effects on post-interventional healthcare expenditures and a reduction in days of sick leave.

scholarly journals Experiences and impact of international medical volunteering: a multi-country mixed methods study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e041599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary McCauley ◽  
Joanna Raven ◽  
Nynke van den Broek
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
International Medical ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Medical Volunteers ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveTo assess the experience and impact of medical volunteers who facilitated training workshops for healthcare providers in maternal and newborn emergency care in 13 countries.SettingsBangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, UK and Zimbabwe.ParticipantsMedical volunteers from the UK (n=162) and from low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) (n=138).Outcome measuresExpectations, experience, views, personal and professional impact of the experience of volunteering on medical volunteers based in the UK and in LMIC.ResultsUK-based medical volunteers (n=38) were interviewed using focus group discussions (n=12) and key informant interviews (n=26). 262 volunteers (UK-based n=124 (47.3%), and LMIC-based n=138 (52.7%)) responded to the online survey (62% response rate), covering 506 volunteering episodes. UK-based medical volunteers were motivated by altruism, and perceived volunteering as a valuable opportunity to develop their skills in leadership, teaching and communication, skills reported to be transferable to their home workplace. Medical volunteers based in the UK and in LMIC (n=244) reported increased confidence (98%, n=239); improved teamwork (95%, n=232); strengthened leadership skills (90%, n=220); and reported that volunteering had a positive impact for the host country (96%, n=234) and healthcare providers trained (99%, n=241); formed sustainable partnerships (97%, n=237); promoted multidisciplinary team working (98%, n=239); and was a good use of resources (98%, n=239). Medical volunteers based in LMIC reported higher satisfaction scores than those from the UK with regards to impact on personal and professional development.ConclusionHealthcare providers from the UK and LMIC are highly motivated to volunteer to increase local healthcare providers’ knowledge and skills in low-resource settings. Further research is necessary to understand the experiences of local partners and communities regarding how the impact of international medical volunteering can be mutually beneficial and sustainable with measurable outcomes.

Farm wages and public works

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanika Mahajan
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Wage Rate ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Wage Growth ◽  
State Level ◽  
Random Allocation ◽  
Farm Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) on farm sector wage rate. This identification strategy rests on the assumption that all districts across India would have had similar wage trends in the absence of the program. The author argues that this assumption may not be true due to non-random allocation of districts to the program’s three phases across states and different economic growth paths of the states post the implementation of NREGS. Design/methodology/approach – To control for overall macroeconomic trends, the author allows for state-level time fixed effects to capture the differences in growth trajectories across districts due to changing economic landscape in the parent-state over time. The author also estimates the expected farm sector wage growth due to the increased public work employment provision using a theoretical model. Findings – The results, contrary to the existing studies, do not find support for a significantly positive impact of NREGS treatment on private cultivation wage rate. The theoretical model also shows that an increase in public employment work days explains very little of the total growth in cultivation wage post 2004. Originality/value – This paper looks specifically at farm sector wage growth and the possible impact of NREGS on it, accounting for state specific factors in shaping farm wages. Theoretical estimates are presented to overcome econometric limitations.

Customer satisfaction with sommelier services of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 532-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy Lau ◽  
Man Lai Cheung ◽  
Guilherme D. Pires ◽  
Carol Chan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The abolishment of the wine tax in Hong Kong has led to increased wine consumption and increased demand for wine-related professionals, such as sommeliers. Yet the importance of sommeliers’ value-adding performance in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants has not been examined. To address this gap, the SERVQUAL framework is adopted to examine the influence of sommeliers’ service quality (SQ) on customer satisfaction (CS) and loyalty in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The survey method is used to collect data from 302 units of the population of interest, partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to test the links between constructs. Findings Four of the seven dimensions of sommeliers’ service quality, namely, empathy, tangibles, credibility and assurance, have a significant positive impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, whereas the impact of perceived value and responsiveness on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is positive but only marginally significant. Reliability has a weak and non-significant impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications Examining a small number of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong limits generalisation of the findings to other contexts. Replication of the research in different contexts will enhance generalizability. In terms of implications, the discussion highlights the importance of sommeliers’ service performance on customers’ SQ perceptions SQ, CS and loyalty, all of which are important variables for restaurateurs. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of the influence of the quality of sommelier’s SQ on CS and loyalty in upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Given the lack of attention to this service role in the literature, the study contributes theory from which further understanding can develop.

Lipid-lowering therapy and patient adherence in the MULTI GAP 2013 trial

2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (17) ◽  
pp. 669-675
Author(s):  
Gábor Simonyi
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
National Health Insurance ◽  
National Health ◽  
Ldl Cholesterol ◽  
Patient Adherence ◽  
Lipid Lowering ◽  
Insurance Fund ◽  
Lipid Lowering Therapy ◽  
Health Insurance Fund ◽  
National Health Insurance Fund

Introduction: Dyslipidemia is a well-known cardiovascular risk factor. To achieve lipid targets patient adherence is a particularly important issue. Aim: To assess adherence and persistence to statin therapy in patients with atherosclerotic disease who participated in the MULTI Goal Attainment Problem 2013 (MULTI GAP 2013) study. Patient adherence was assessed using estimation by the physicians in charge and analysis of pick up rate of prescribed statins in 319 patients based on data of National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary. Method: In the MULTI GAP 2013 study, data from standard and structured questionnaires of 1519 patients were processed. Serum lipid values of patients treated by different healthcare professionals (general practitioners, cardiologists, diabetologists, neurologists, and internists), treatment adherence of patients assessed by doctors and treatment adherence based on data of National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary were analysed. Satisfaction of doctors with results of statin therapy and the relationship between the level of adherence and serum lipid values were also evaluated. Results: Considering the last seven years of survey data, the use of more effective statins became more prevalent with an about 70% increase of prescriptions of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin from 49% to 83%. Patients with LDL-cholesterol level below 2.5 mmol/l had 8 prescriptions per year. In contrast, patients who had LDL-cholesterol levels above 2.5 mmol/l had only 5.3–6.3 prescriptions per year. Patients who picked up their statins 10–12 or 7–9 times per year had significantly lower LDL-cholesterol level than those who had no or 1–3 pick up. The 100% persistence assessed by doctors was significantly lower (74%) based on data from the National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary. About half of the patients were considered to display 100% adherence to lipid-lowering therapy by their doctors, while data from the National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary showed only 36%. In patients with better adherence (90–100%) LDL-cholesterol levels below 2.5 mmol/l were more frequent (59.5%) compared to those with worse adherence. Satisfaction of doctors with lipid targets achieved was 69–80% in patients with total cholesterol between 4.5 and 6 mmol/l, and satisfaction with higher cholesterol values was also high (53–54%). Conclusions: The results show that doctors may overestimate patient adherence to lipid-lowering treatment. Based on data from the National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary, satisfaction of doctors with high lipid level appears to be high. There is a need to optimize not only patient adherence, but adherence of doctors to lipid guidelines too.

Prävention – Lohnt sich Prävention für die gesetzlichen - Krankenkassen in Deutschland?

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (03) ◽  
pp. 128-129
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Disease Prevention ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
Statutory Health Insurance ◽  
Insurance Fund ◽  
Chronische Erkrankungen ◽  
Health Insurance Fund ◽  
Health Econ ◽  
Financing System ◽  
Statutory Health Insurance Fund

Weinhold et al. Economic impact of disease prevention in a morbidity-based financing system: does prevention pay off for a statutory health insurance fund in Germany? Eur J Health Econ 2019; 20 (8): 1181–1193 Das deutsche Gesundheitssystem wird durch vermeidbare chronische Erkrankungen in besonderem Maße belastet. Die Finanzierung geeigneter Präventionsmaßnahmen obliegt den Krankenkassen. Weinhold et al. untersuchten in einer retrospektiven Studie die ökonomischen Auswirkungen von Prävention für die GKV.

Drug Prescription Patterns in Schizophrenia Outpatients: Analysis of Data from a German Health Insurance Fund

2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (02) ◽  
pp. 66-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Weinbrenner ◽  
H.-J. Assion ◽  
T. Stargardt ◽  
R. Busse ◽  
G. Juckel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Drug Prescription ◽  
Insurance Fund ◽  
Health Insurance Fund ◽  
Prescription Patterns ◽  
German Health

The impact of quality framework application on patients’ satisfaction

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Abu-Rumman ◽  
Ata Al Shraah ◽  
Faisal Al-Madi ◽  
Tasneem Alfalah
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Patient Experience ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Large Hospital ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Value ◽  
Quality Awards ◽  
Improved Learning ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to explore if the application of the customer results criteria contained within the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence (KAIIAE) is correlated with high levels of patient satisfaction within a large hospital based in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach Using a mixed methodology, supported by a pragmatist theoretical approach, a satisfaction survey was conducted with patients accessing the hospital as an in-patient across a range of specialities gathering feedback about different aspects of their care. The results were compared with a self-assessment completed by different speciality teams about the existence and maturity of customer result arrangements implemented as a result of the (KAIIAE). Findings The findings confirmed that quality awards such as the KAIIAE can effectively be applied in a health-care setting and can help provide a framework for improving patient experience and satisfaction. A correlation was found with those specialties that self-assessed themselves more highly in terms of these arrangements and the overall levels of patient satisfaction with that specialty, suggesting that the products of working towards the KAIIAE such as establishing effective patient experience monitoring arrangements and improved learning from complaints, has a positive impact on patient satisfaction. Originality/value There are limited studies which focus specifically on customer results and on the use of the KAIIAE more generally. This study therefore makes a valuable contribution in adding to the debate about the strategic value of working towards formal quality improvement models and awards in health-care settings.

Social media activity: its impact on career-related perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly W. O'Connor ◽  
Kimberly S. McDonald ◽  
Brandon T. McDaniel ◽  
Gordon B. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Career Satisfaction ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Career Benefits

Purpose The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine individual perceptions about the impact that social media use has on career satisfaction and perceived career benefits. We examined whether informal online learning through “typical” types of social media behaviors (e.g. liking a post or messaging another user) and “networking” types of social media behaviors (e.g. endorsing another user, writing recommendations, going “live,” or looking for a job) impacted career-related perceptions. Design/methodology/approach In this study, we analyzed Amazon Mechanical Turk survey data gathered from adult participants (n = 475). We focused our inquiry specifically on two social media sites, Facebook and LinkedIn. We asked participants about their social media use and behaviors, as well as their perceptions of career satisfaction and career benefits related to social media. Findings We found that both typical and networking types of social media behaviors positively predicted the “knowing whom” career competency (defined as career relevant networks and contacts that individuals use to develop their careers) and career satisfaction. Only networking behaviors were positively associated with perceived career benefits of social media use. We further found that LinkedIn users’ career satisfaction was lower compared to non-LinkedIn users. Originality/value This study adds to the small, but growing body of career research focusing on social capital and social media. Our results suggest that informal online learning via social media may have a positive impact on employees’ career-related perceptions.

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