scholarly journals An ICT-Based Diabetes Management System Tested for Health Care Delivery in the African Context

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude Takenga ◽  
Rolf-Dietrich Berndt ◽  
Olivier Musongya ◽  
Joël Kitero ◽  
Remi Katoke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Diabetes Care ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Care Services ◽  
African Context

The demand for new healthcare services is growing rapidly. Improving accessibility of the African population to diabetes care seems to be a big challenge in most countries where the number of care centers and medical staff is reduced. Information and communication technologies (ICT) have great potential to address some of these challenges faced by several countries in providing accessible, cost-effective, and high-quality health care services. This paper presents the Mobil Diab system which is a telemedical approach proposed for the management of long-term diseases. The system applies modern mobile and web technologies which overcome geographical barriers, and increase access to health care services. The idea of the system is to involve patients in the therapy process and motivate them for an active participation. For validation of the system in African context, a trial was conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 40 Subjects with diabetes divided randomly into control and intervention groups were included in the test. Results show that Mobil Diab is suitable for African countries and presents a number of benefits for the population and public health care system. It improves clinical management and delivery of diabetes care services by enhancing access, quality, motivation, reassurance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

scholarly journals Financial Crisis in Portugal: Effects in the Health Care Sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Morais Nunes ◽  
Diogo Cunha Ferreira ◽  
Adalberto Campos Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Care Sector ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Care System

Portugal has faced an economic and financial crisis that began circa FY2009 and whose effects are still ongoing. In FY2011, the Portuguese state and the European triumvirate – composed of the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Central Bank – signed the Memoranda of Understanding. This troika agreement aimed to improve the operational efficiency of public services. This crisis had a considerable impact on the Portuguese citizens’ life and productivity, as well as on the public health care system. Cuts over public expenditures have been made to reduce the risk of noncompliance with budgetary targets, despite their potential impact on quality and access to health care services. We analyzed the main policies and measures undertaken by the Portuguese Ministry of Health with respect to the bailout program associated with the troika agreement. Then, we focused on the budgetary cuts–related risks over the social performance of the care system. Evidence suggests that structural reforms in the health care sector in the troika period had positive effects in terms of drugs administration and consumption, on the one hand, and secondary care expenditures reduction, on the other hand. Nonetheless, we observed some divestitures on infrastructures and the worsening of access to health care services.

Right to health and access to health-care services for refugees in Turkey

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Ela Gokalp Aras ◽  
Sertan Kabadayi ◽  
Emir Ozeren ◽  
Erhan Aydin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of factors that contribute to refugees’ exclusion from health-care services. More specifically, using institutional theory, this paper identifies regulative pillar-, normative pillar- and cultural/cognitive pillar-related challenges that result in refugees having limited or no access to health-care services. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on both secondary research and empirical insights from two qualitative fieldwork studies totaling 37 semi-structured meso-level interviews, observations and focus groups in three Turkish cities (Izmir, Ankara and Edirne), as well as a total of 42 micro-level, semi-structured interviews with refugees and migrants in one large city (Izmir) in Turkey. Findings This study reveals that systematically stratified legal statuses result in different levels of access to public health-care services for migrants, asylum seekers or refugees based on their fragmented protection statuses. The findings suggest access to health-care is differentiated not only between local citizens and refugees but also among the refugees and migrants based on their legal status as shaped by their country of origin. Originality/value While the role of macro challenges such as laws and government regulations in shaping policies about refugees have been examined in other fields, the impact of such factors on refugee services and well-being has been largely ignored in service literature in general, as well as transformative service research literature in particular. This study is one of the first attempts by explicitly including macro-level factors to contribute to the discussion on the refugees’ access to public health-care services in a host country by relying on the institutional theory by providing a holistic understanding of cognitive, normative and regulative factors in understanding service exclusion problem.

Barriers and Limitations to Obstacle Diabetes Self-Management with a Focus on Nutritional Literacy: Solutions and Opportunities. Critical Review and Research Synthesis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Mahmoodi ◽  
Narges Khanjani
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Research Synthesis ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Nutritional Knowledge ◽  
Care Services

Background: Researchers should seek applicable solutions and appropriate opportunities to solve or ravage barriers and limitations that worsen diabetes self-management and outcomes. Objectives: The aim of this critical review and research synthesis was to explore whether the enhancement of nutritional literacy can optimize diabetes self-management and to identify barriers and limitations that obstacle diabetes self-management and to suggest the best available solutions and opportunities that were tailored to eliminate these barriers. Methods: Data sources were PubMed and Medline databases. Studies were authorized if they were in English, used an observational or interventional design and were tailored based on the individual's nutritional knowledge or literacy in diabetes management among patients with diabetes. Databases were searched from February 1988 to December 2018. In order to evaluate the studies' quality, the abstracts that met PICO criteria for qualitative studies underwent dual review for data extraction. A qualitative synthesis was also conducted and the GRADE criteria were used to evaluate the quality of studies. Results: A structured inventory consisted of six constructs (socioeconomic determinants, cultural determinants, education, access to health care services, family structure, and thoughts and personal practices) was designed based on the barriers and limitations. As a result, 151 solutions and opportunities were proposed. Most repeated solutions that were frequently suggested to eliminate the existing barriers, were: “The access to optimal nutrition and health literacy”, “Improved health care services”, “Health policies of governments”, “Sustainable lifestyle-based healthcare system”, “Proper implementation of nutritional intervention programs”, and “Comprehensive culturally sensitive diabetes education, and care programs”. Conclusion: Identification and classification barriers and limitations to obstacle diabetes self-management are critical advances in accomplishing the interventions that can improve optimal diabetes outcomes, for different diabetic societies. Well-designed nutrition literacy intervention programs and preventive procedures may ameliorate the health status in diabetic population.

scholarly journals Primary Care for Transgender Individuals: A Review of the Literature Reflecting a Canadian Perspective

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402096282
Author(s):  
Erin Ziegler ◽  
Ruta Valaitis ◽  
Nancy Carter ◽  
Cathy Risdon ◽  
Jennifer Yost
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Care Delivery ◽  
Canadian Perspective ◽  
Primary Care Practitioners

Literature related to transgender health in adults has focused on definitions, hormone therapy, and transgender-sensitive care provision. Further understanding is needed on the delivery of primary care for transgender adults. The aim of this review was to understand the primary-care needs and access to health care services for transgender adults in Canada. A state-of-the-art literature review was conducted. Thirteen research studies were included. There is limited literature on the delivery of primary care for transgender adults, particularly in Canada. Health care issues and access to care have been explored. However, there remains minimal Canadian content on primary-care delivery for transgender adults. Additional studies are needed to understand transgender primary-care needs in Canada. Further understanding can reduce the invisibility and disparities experienced by transgender individuals. With better understanding of transgender primary health care issues, primary-care practitioners can advocate for the heath needs of their patients and improve care delivery.

scholarly journals Population Health Intervention Implementation Among Migrants With Precarious Status in Montreal: Underlying Theory and Key Challenges

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402091795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loubna Belaid ◽  
Magalie Benoit ◽  
Navdeep Kaur ◽  
Azari Lili ◽  
Valery Ridde
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Underlying Theory ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Population Health Intervention ◽  
Access To Health

The purpose of this study is to describe the underlying theory and the challenges involved in implementing an intervention to access health care services for migrants with precarious status (MPS) in Montreal. The description of the underlying theory of the intervention was based on a documentary analysis and a workshop with clinicians ( n = 9). The challenges were identified through concept mapping ( n = 28) and in-depth interviews ( n = 13). The results of the study indicated that the aims of the intervention were to provide access to health care to MPS primarily to avoid any further health status deterioration. The most significant challenges identified were sustainable funding resources and improved access to care and protection for MPS. The interviews indicated that MPS are difficult to reach out; public health care system rules are unclear; resource constraints make it difficult to provide adequate and continuing care; and advocacy activities are difficult to organize.

scholarly journals Using Prospective Methods to Identify Fieldwork Locations Favourable to Understanding Divergences in Health Care Accessibility

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 506
Author(s):  
Jan Ketil Rød ◽  
Arne H. Eide ◽  
Thomas Halvorsen ◽  
Alister Munthali
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health Care Accessibility ◽  
Barriers To Health ◽  
Walking Time

Central to this article is the issue of choosing sites for where a fieldwork could provide a better understanding of divergences in health care accessibility. Access to health care is critical to good health, but inhabitants may experience barriers to health care limiting their ability to obtain the care they need. Most inhabitants of low-income countries need to walk long distances along meandering paths to get to health care services. Individuals in Malawi responded to a survey with a battery of questions on perceived difficulties in accessing health care services. Using both vertical and horizontal impedance, we modelled walking time between household locations for the individuals in our sample and the health care centres they were using. The digital elevation model and Tobler’s hiking function were used to represent vertical impedance, while OpenStreetMap integrated with land cover map were used to represent horizontal impedance. Combining measures of walking time and perceived accessibility in Malawi, we used spatial statistics and found spatial clusters with substantial discrepancies in health care accessibility, which represented fieldwork locations favourable for providing a better understanding of barriers to health access.

A Scoping Review of Telehealth-Assisted Case Management for Chronic Illnesses

2021 ◽  
pp. 019394592110089
Author(s):  
Jee Young Joo ◽  
Megan F. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Case Management ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Chronic Illnesses ◽  
Future Research

This scoping review aimed to examine telehealth-assisted case management for chronic illnesses and assess its overall impact on health care delivery. Guided by the PRISMA statement, this review included 36 empirical studies published between 2011 and 2020. This study identified three weaknesses and four strengths of telehealth-assisted case management. While the weaknesses were negative feelings about telehealth, challenges faced by patients in learning and using telehealth devices, and increased workload for case managers, the strengths included efficient and timely care, increased access to health care services, support for patients’ satisfaction, and cost savings. Future research can be designed and conducted for overcoming the weaknesses of telehealth-assisted case management. Additionally, the strengths identified by this review need to be translated from research into case management practice for chronic illness care. This review not only describes the value of such care strategy, but also provides implications for future nursing practice and research.

scholarly journals Analysis of Facilitators and Barriers to the Delivery of Routine Care during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 528
Author(s):  
Cristian Lieneck ◽  
Brooke Herzog ◽  
Raven Krips
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers

The delivery of routine health care during the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to be challenged as public health guidelines and other local/regional/state and other policies are enforced to help prevent the spread of the virus. The objective of this systematic review is to identify the facilitators and barriers affecting the delivery of routine health care services during the pandemic to provide a framework for future research. In total, 32 articles were identified for common themes surrounding facilitators of routine care during COVID-19. Identified constructed in the literature include enhanced education initiatives for parents/patients regarding routine vaccinations, an importance of routine vaccinations as compared to the risk of COVID-19 infection, an enhanced use of telehealth resources (including diagnostic imagery) and identified patient throughput/PPE initiatives. Reviewers identified the following barriers to the delivery of routine care: conservation of medical providers and PPE for non-routine (acute) care delivery needs, specific routine care services incongruent the telehealth care delivery methods, and job-loss/food insecurity. Review results can assist healthcare organizations with process-related challenges related to current and/or future delivery of routine care and support future research initiatives as the global pandemic continues.

Access to health care and Informal Patient Payments for health care in Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Buch Mejsner ◽  
S Lavasani Kjær ◽  
L Eklund Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health System ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Access To Health

Abstract Background Evidence often shows that migrants in the European region have poor access to quality health care. Having a large number of migrants seeking towards Europe, crossing through i.e. Serbia, it is crucial to improve migrants' access to health care and ensure equality in service provision Aim To investigate what are the barriers and facilitators of access to health care in Serbia, perceived by migrants, policy makers, health care providers, civil servants and experts working with migrants. Methods six migrants in an asylum center and eight civil servants in the field of migration were conducted. A complementary questionnaire to key civil servants working with migrants (N = 19) is being distributed to complement the data. The qualitative and quantitative data will be analysed through Grounded Theory and Logistic Regression respectively. Results According to preliminary findings, migrants reported that they were able to access the health care services quite easily. Migrants were mostly fully aware of their rights to access these health care services. However, the interviewed civil servants experienced that, despite the majority of migrants in camps were treated fairly, some migrants were treated inappropriately by health care professionals (being addressed inappropriately, poor or lacking treatment). The civil servants believed that local Serbs, from their own experiences, were treated poorer than migrants (I.e. paying Informal Patient Payments, poor quality of and access to health care services). The interviewed migrants were trusting towards the health system, because they felt protected by the official system that guaranteed them services. The final results will be presented at the conference. Conclusions There was a difference in quality of and access to health care services of local Serbs and migrants in the region. Migrants may be protected by the official health care system and thus have access to and do not pay additional fees for health care services. Key messages Despite comprehensive evidence on Informal Patient Payments (IPP) in Serbia, further research is needed to highlight how health system governance and prevailing policies affect IPP in migrants. There may be clear differences in quality of and access to health care services between the local population and migrants in Serbia.

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