“Did I Choose a Birth Control Method Yet?” Health Care and Women’s Contraceptive Decision-Making

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232110040
Author(s):  
Jamie L. Manzer ◽  
Ann V. Bell
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Access To Contraception ◽  
Care System

In the United States, unintended pregnancy is medicalized, having been labeled a health problem and “treated” with contraception. Scholars find women’s access to contraception is simultaneously facilitated and constrained by health care system actors and its structure. Yet, beyond naming these barriers, less research centers women’s experiences making contraceptive decisions as they encounter such barriers. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 86 diverse, self-identified women, this study explores how the medicalization of unintended pregnancy has influenced women’s contraceptive access and decision-making. We highlight the breadth of such influence across multiple contraceptive types and health care contexts; namely, we find the two most salient forces shaping women’s contraceptive decisions to be their insurance coverage and providers’ contraceptive counseling. Within these two categories, we offer crucial nuance to demonstrate how these oft-cited barriers implicitly and explicitly influence women’s decisions. Paradoxically, it is the health care system, itself, that both offers yet constrains women’s contraceptive decisions.

scholarly journals Unmasking a health care system: the Dutch policy response to the Covid-19 crisis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Wallenburg ◽  
Jan-Kees Helderman ◽  
Patrick Jeurissen ◽  
Roland Bal
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Hard Time ◽  
Dutch Health ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Policy Systems ◽  
Care System

Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic has put policy systems to the test. In this paper, we unmask the institutionalized resilience of the Dutch health care system to pandemic crisis. Building on logics of crisis decision-making and on the notion of ‘tact’, we reveal how the Dutch government initially succeeded in orchestrating collective action through aligning public health purposes and installing socio-economic policies to soften societal impact. However, when the crisis evolved into a more enduring one, a more contested policy arena emerged in which decision-makers had a hard time composing and defending a united decision-making strategy. Measures have become increasingly debated on all policy levels as well as among experts, and conflicts are widely covered in the Dutch media. With the 2021 elections ahead, this means an additional test of the resilience of the Dutch socio-political and health care systems.

Should Screening Programs Be Perfect?

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-301
Author(s):  
PHILIP R. WYATT
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
New England ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Neonatal Hypothyroidism ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Care System

To the Editor.— The report of the New England Regional Screening Program1 on neonatal hypothyroidism is a stunning illustration of the vulnerability of screening programs. It is unfortunate that this experience will probably be used as an argument to minimize the input of screening programs in the health care system in the United States. The report illustrates that, in addition to the 2% of the screened population that eluded the program, 14 infants with hypothyroidism escaped the full benefits of early detection and treatment.

scholarly journals An Opportunity for Pharmacists to Help Improve Coordination and Continuity of Patient Health Care

Pharmacy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Schommer ◽  
Lawrence Brown ◽  
Ryan Bortz ◽  
Alina Cernasev ◽  
Basma Gomaa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Consumer Perspective ◽  
Medication Experience ◽  
Pharmacist Workforce ◽  
Care System

Pharmacist workforce researchers are predicting a potential surplus of pharmacists in the United States that might result in pharmacists being available for engagement in new roles. The objective for this study was to describe consumer opinions regarding medication use, the health care system, and pharmacists to help identify new roles for pharmacists from the consumer perspective. Data were obtained from the 2015 and 2016 National Consumer Surveys on the Medication Experience and Pharmacist Roles. Out of the representative sample of 36,673 respondents living in the United States, 80% (29,426) submitted written comments at the end of the survey. Of these, 2178 were specifically about medicines, pharmacists or health and were relevant and usable for this study. Thematic analysis, content analysis, and computer-based text mining were used for identifying themes and coding comments. The findings showed that 66% of the comments about medication use and 82% about the health care system were negative. Regarding pharmacists, 73% of the comments were positive with many commenting about the value of the pharmacist for overcoming fears and for filling current gaps in their healthcare. We propose that these comments might be signals that pharmacists could help improve coordination and continuity for peoples’ healthcare and could help guide the development of new service offerings.

scholarly journals Satisfaction with health care system: A comparative study between market-based insurance model of the United States and “out-of-pocket” model in developing and low-income countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Ram Lakhan ◽  
Sean Y. Gillette ◽  
Sean Lee ◽  
Manoj Sharma
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Care System

Background and purpose: Access to healthcare services is an essential component for ensuring the quality of life. Globally, there is inequity and disparities regarding access to health care. To meet the global healthcare needs, different models of healthcare have been adopted around the world. However, all healthcare models have some strengths and weaknesses. The purpose of this study was to examine the satisfaction among a group of undergraduate students from different countries with their health care models namely, insurance-based model in the United States and “out-of-pocket” model prevalent in low-income countries.Methods and materials: The study utilized a cross-sectional research design. Undergraduate students, representing different nationalities from a private Southeastern College, were administered a researcher-designed 14-item self-reported electronic questionnaire. Independent t-test and χ2 statistics were used to examine the differences between two health care systems and the qualitative responses were analyzed thematically.Results: Satisfaction towards health care system between the United States and low-income countries was found significantly different (p < .05). However, students in both settings experienced an inability toward affording quality healthcare due to economic factors and disparities.Conclusions: There is dissatisfaction with health care both in the United States and low-income developing countries among a sample of undergraduate students representing these countries. Efforts to ensure low-cost affordable health care should be a global goal.

scholarly journals Modeling of Food and Nutrition Surveillance in Primary Health Care

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santuzza Arreguy Silva VITORINO ◽  
Marly Marques da CRUZ ◽  
Denise Cavalcante de BARROS
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Logic Model ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Care System

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the modeling stages of food and nutrition surveillance in the Primary Health Care of the Unified Health Care System, considering its activities, objectives, and goals Methods: Document analysis and semi-structured interviews were used for identifying the components, describe the intervention, and identify potential assessment users. Results: The results include identification of the objectives and goals of the intervention, the required inputs, activities, and expected effects. The intervention was then modeled based on these data. The use of the theoretical logic model optimizes times, resources, definition of the indicators that require monitoring, and the aspects that require assessment, identifying more clearly the contribution of the intervention to the results Conclusion: Modeling enabled the description of food and nutrition surveillance based on its components and may guide the development of viable plans to monitor food and nutrition surveillance actions so that modeling can be established as a local intersectoral planning instrument.

scholarly journals Rural Michigan Farmers’ Health Concerns and Experiences: A Focus Group Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110535
Author(s):  
Nathan Wright ◽  
Marylee Scherdt ◽  
Michelle L. Aebersold ◽  
Marjorie C. McCullagh ◽  
Barbara R. Medvec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Care System

Objectives: Rural residents comprise approximately 15% of the United States population. They face challenges in accessing and using a health care system that is not structured to meet their unique needs. It is important to understand rural residents’ perceptions of health and experiences interacting with the health care system to identify gaps in care. Methods: Our team conducted focus groups with members of the Michigan Farm Bureau during their 2019 Annual Meeting. Topics explored included resources to manage health, barriers to virtual health care services, and desired changes to localized healthcare delivery. Surveys were used to capture demographic and internet access information. Conclusion: Analysis included data from 2 focus groups (n = 14). Participants represented a wide age range and a variety of Michigan counties. The majority were full-time farm owners with most—93% (n = 13)—reporting they had access to the internet in their homes and 86% (n = 12) reporting that their cellphones had internet capabilities. Participants identified challenges and opportunities in 4 categories: formal health care; health and well-being supports; health insurance experiences; and virtual health care. Conclusion: The findings from this study provide a useful framework for developing interventions to address the specific needs of rural farming residents. Despite the expressed challenges in access and use of health care services and resources, participants remained hopeful that innovative approaches, such as virtual health platforms, can address existing gaps in care. The study findings should inform the design and evaluation of interventions to address rural health disparities.

Book Reviews: Coddington et al. - The Crisis in Health Care: Costs, Choices, and StrategiesDean C. Coddington, David J. Keen, Keith D. Moore, and Richard L. Clarke San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1991, 303 pp. US$30.95 cloth. ISBN 1-55542-273-X. Jossey-Bass Publishers, 350 Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94104, USA.

1992 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-275
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Bonnicksen
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Research ◽  
Present System ◽  
Cost Shifting ◽  
Hospital Administrators ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Care System

PrécisThe authors assume that costs can no longer be contained in the United States health care system and that the present system cannot be sustained beyond the near future. Three of the authors are affiliated with an applied economic research and consulting firm, and the fourth is president of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. They are trained in business and city planning. The bibliography lists articles from such journals as Hospitals, Business & Health, Business Insurance, and Medical Economics.The book is directed to members of hospital governing boards and other hospital administrators, but it will be of interest to students of health policy. Part I highlights tensions between what the authors call the worlds of doctors and hospital administrators struggling to survive, on the one hand, and health care planners worried about spiraling costs on the other. Part II contains five chapters that suggest reasons for growing costs and that criticize cost shifting as a remedy.In Part III the authors evaluate alternative health care systems by presenting four future scenarios: incremental change, universal access, consumer choice model, and single payer system. In these chapters they also approach the fundamental purpose of the book—to “help physicians, hospitals, and health plans take the next steps to position themselves for the future.” While not highly analytical, the book is a readable and thoughtful supplement to more abstract critiques of the impact of today's health care system on distributive justice.

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