scholarly journals Return to Normalcy? Principles on Resuming Surgical Services in the COVID-19 Era

OTO Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 2473974X2093665
Author(s):  
Taher S. Valika ◽  
Kathleen R. Billings

The rapidly changing health care climate related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in numerous changes to health care systems and in practices that protect both the public and the workers who serve in hospitals around the country. As a result, these past few months have seen a drastic reduction in outpatient visits and surgical volumes. With phased reopening and appropriate guidance, health care systems are attempting to return to normal. Our institution has had the unique opportunity to already return operations back to full capacity. The experiences and lessons learned are described, and we provide guiding principles to allow for a safe and effective return to patient care.

2020 ◽  
Vol 163 (4) ◽  
pp. 705-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taher S. Valika ◽  
Kathleen R. Billings

The rapidly changing health care climate related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in numerous changes to health care systems and in practices that protect both the public and the workers who serve in hospitals around the country. As a result, these past few months have seen a drastic reduction in outpatient visits. With phased reopening and appropriate guidance, health care systems are attempting to return to normal. The experiences and lessons learned are described, and we provide guiding principles to allow for a safe and effective return to outpatient care.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiri Noy ◽  
Patricia A. McManus

Are health care systems converging in developing nations? We use the case of health care financing in Latin America between 1995 and 2009 to assess the predictions of modernization theory, competing strands of globalization theory, and accounts of persistent cross-national differences. As predicted by modernization theory, we find convergence in overall health spending. The public share of health spending increased over this time period, with no convergence in the public-private mix. The findings indicate robust heterogeneity of national health care systems and suggest that globalization fosters human investment health policies rather than neoliberal, “race to the bottom” cutbacks in public health expenditures.


Author(s):  
Pierre Pestieau ◽  
Mathieu Lefebvre

This chapter reviews the public health care systems as well as their challenges. It first shows how expenditure on health care has evolved in previous decades and deals with the reasons for the growth observed in almost every European country. It emphasizes the role of technological progress as a main explanatory factor of the increase in medical expenditure but also points to the challenges facing cost-containment policies. Especially, the main common features of health care systems in Europe, such as third-party payment, single provider approach and cost-based reimbursement are discussed. Finally the chapter shows that although inequalities in health exist in the population, health care systems are redistributive. Reforms are thus needed but the trade-off between budgetary efficiency and equity is difficult.


2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-303
Author(s):  
Anthony L Pillay ◽  
Anne L Kramers-Olen

The COVID-19 pandemic heralded challenges that were both significant and unfamiliar, placing inordinate burdens on health care systems, economies, and the collective psyche of citizens. The pandemic underscored the tenuous intersections between public mental health care, politics, economics, and psychosocial capital. In South Africa, the inadequacies of the public health system have been laid bare, and the disproportionate privileges of the private health care system exposed. This article critically considers government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the psychosocial correlates of lockdown, politics, corruption, and public mental health policy in South Africa.


2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 660-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Newdick

Most now recognize the inevitability of rationing in modern health care systems. The elastic nature of the concept of “health need,” our natural human sympathy for those in distress, the increased range of conditions for which treatment is available, the “greying” of the population; all expand demand for care in ways that exceed the supply of resources to provide it. UK governments, however, have found this truth difficult to present and have not encouraged open and candid public debate about choices in health care. Indeed, successive governments have presented the opposite view, that “if you are ill or injured there will be a national health service there to help; and access to it will be based on need and need alone.” And they have been rightly criticized for misleading the public and then blaming clinical and managerial staffin the National Health Service (NHS) when expectations have been disappointed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Daniels ◽  
Iestyn Williams ◽  
Stirling Bryan ◽  
Craig Mitton ◽  
Suzanne Robinson

AbstractPublic involvement in disinvestment decision making in health care is widely advocated, and in some cases legally mandated. However, attempts to involve the public in other areas of health policy have been accused of tokenism and manipulation. This paper presents research into the views of local health care leaders in the English National Health Service (NHS) with regards to the involvement of citizens and local communities in disinvestment decision making. The research includes a Q study and follow-up interviews with a sample of health care clinicians and managers in senior roles in the English NHS. It finds that whilst initial responses suggest high levels of support for public involvement, further probing of attitudes and experiences shows higher levels of ambivalence and risk aversion and a far more cautious overall stance. This study has implications for the future of disinvestment activities and public involvement in health care systems faced with increased resource constraint. Recommendations are made for future research and practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Lindner ◽  
Lutz Kubitschke ◽  
Christos Lionis ◽  
Marilena Anastasaki ◽  
Ursula Kirchmayer ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-5
Author(s):  
Bishoy Hanna ◽  
Amanda Chung

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had and continues to have an unprecedented impact on health care systems worldwide. The Australian system has yet to be truly tested by the pandemic, as rapid implementation of public health measures has curbed infection rates. Australia’s 2-tier health care has allowed sufficient staffing, equipment, and beds to continue providing acute health care in the face of an exceptional and extreme demand. No health system is perfect and, although Australia’s has some wonderful attributes that make it the envy of many other countries, it faces a number of important challenges. This paper describes how Australia’s health care structure has adapted to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, examines the challenges involved and the lessons learned, and explores how this environmental pressure could lead to systemic adaptations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 665-677
Author(s):  
Claus Wendt

Abstract This article discusses recent developments in and new principles of European social health insurance (SHI). It analyses how privatization policies and competition have altered social insurance and whether financial difficulties are caused by social insurance features not evident in other types of health care systems. There is little if any evidence that SHI causes higher cost increases than other types of systems. The comparison of five European SHI systems demonstrates that despite cost containment policies these countries do not experience a trust crisis in health care or loss in support among the public. The author shows that SHI has moved toward universal health care and that the traditional values of solidarity and social security have even been strengthened over the past decades.


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