Do community scorecards improve utilisation of health services in community clinics: experience from a rural area of Bangladesh

Abstract Background The government of Bangladesh initiated community clinics (CC) to extend the reach of public health services and these facilities were planned to be run through community participation. However, utilisation of CC services is still very low. Evidence indicates community score card is an effective tool to increase utilisation of services from health facility through regular interface meeting between service providers and beneficiary. We investigated whether community scorecards (CSC) improve utilisation of health services provided by CCs in rural area of Bangladesh. Methods This study was conducted from December 2017 to November 2018. Three intervention and three control CCs were selected from Chakaria, a rural sub-district of Bangladesh. CSC was introduced with the Community Groups and Community Support Groups in intervention CCs between January to October 2018. Data were collected through observation of CCs during operational hours, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and from DHIS2. Utilisation of CC services was compared between intervention and control areas, pre and post CSC intervention. Results Post CSC intervention, community awareness about CC services, utilisation of clinic operational hours, and accountability of healthcare providers have increased in the intervention CCs. Utilisation of primary healthcare services including family planning services, antenatal care, postnatal care and basic health services have significantly improved in intervention CCs. Conclusion CSC is an effective tool to increase the service utilization provided by CCs by ensuring community awareness and participation, and service providers’ accountability. Policy makers and concerned authorities may take necessary steps to integrate community scorecard in the health system by incorporating it in CCs.

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Healthcare Service Delivery News in Pakistani Print Media: A Comparative Analysis of Daily Jang and Daily Dawn

Global Mass Communication Review ◽

10.31703/gmcr.2020(v-i).03 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol V (I) ◽

pp. 30-39

Author(s):

Abid Mehmood ◽

Sajjad Ali

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Literature Review ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Quantitative Methodology ◽

News Stories ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

Health Related ◽

The Government

Health conditions in Pakistan are very bad. Government and non-governmental organizations are trying to meet international standard of health services. Some healthcare providers are educated, trained and certified from the government but some are unqualified and not certified. In this research two national newspapers are analyzed the daily Jang Urdu and the daily Dawn English. These newspapers cover healthcare services such as indoor patient, outdoor patient maternity and other health services in news stories. These services are also seen in the Literature Review. The researcher analyzed on coverage of healthcare in newspapers the daily Jang and the daily Dawn. This research has been performed by using content analysis technique under quantitative methodology. Media agenda setting theory was adopted in the theoretical framework as in the literature review. The statistical analyses of data analysis have been done in the form of frequency distribution and correlation analysis. SPSS is used to analyze the content of data. The results show that daily Jang is giving more coverage to health-related news stories than daily Dawn.

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An Analysis of Users’ Perceptions on Health Facilities in Mumbai

MANTHAN Journal of Commerce and Management ◽

10.17492/manthan.v1i2.2444 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Hiral Sheth

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Health Sector ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Public Hospitals ◽

Public Healthcare ◽

Public Health Services ◽

Policy Objective ◽

Private Health Sector ◽

The Government ◽

High Level

The new challenges of globalisation have made it essential to achieve and sustain a high level of efficiency in the provision of healthcare. Even though the Government of Maharashtra clearly views assuring efficiency and providing public health services to the people as an important policy objective, data reveals that the amount of resources spent on public healthcare especially public hospitals is very meagre as compared to the needs of the population. This study attempts to understand the shift from public to the private health sector by the users of health services in the city of Mumbai. This changing trend towards increasing use of private hospitals for healthcare services was analysed to understand the specific reasons behind the privatisation of health services in this metropolitan city. Using primary survey, the analysis revealed that majority of the users preferred private hospital services due to various reasons like cleanliness, better infrastructure, efficient and competent doctors and other staff. The results also indicated significant inefficiencies in the functioning of the public hospitals as noted from the responses of the users.

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Healthcare inequities and barriers to access for homeless individuals: a qualitative study in Barcelona (Spain)

International Journal for Equity in Health ◽

10.1186/s12939-021-01409-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Andrés Cernadas ◽

Ángela Fernández

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Study ◽

Health Services ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Service Providers ◽

Universal Access ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Medical Professional ◽

Homeless Population ◽

Public Health Services ◽

Structured Interviews

Abstract Background In Spain, homeless individuals have lower perceived quality of health than the rest of the population and their life expectancy is 30 years lower than the national average. While the Spanish health system provides universal access and coverage, homeless individuals do not access or use public care enough to maintain their health. The objective of this study is to determine if homeless individuals can access public health services in conditions of equality with the rest of the population, as established in healthcare legislation, and to better understand the causes of observed inequalities or inequities of access. Methods A detailed qualitative study was carried out in the city of Barcelona (Spain) from October 2019 to February 2020. A total of nine open and in-depth interviews were done with homeless individuals along with seven semi-structured interviews with key informants and two focus groups. One group was composed of eight individuals who were living on the street at the time and the other consisted of eight individuals working in healthcare and social assistance. Results The participants indicated that homeless individuals tend to only access healthcare services when they are seriously ill or have suffered some kind of injury. Once there, they tend to encounter significant barriers that might be 1) administrative; 2) personal, based on belief that that will be poorly attended, discriminated against, or unable to afford treatment; or 3) medical-professional, when health professionals, who understand the lifestyle of this population and their low follow-through with treatments, tend towards minimalist interventions that lack the dedication they would apply to other groups of patients. Conclusions The conclusions derived from this study convey the infrequent use of health services by homeless individuals for reasons attributable to the population itself, to healthcare workers and to the entire healthcare system. Accordingly, to reduce inequities of access to these services, recommendations to healthcare service providers include adapting facilities to provide more adequate care for this population; increasing sensitivity/awareness among healthcare workers; developing in situ care systems in places where the homeless population is most concentrated; and establishing healthcare collaboration agreements with entities that work with this population.

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Providing Community-Based Effective e-Health Services in Bangladesh: An Analysis on Sylhet Sadar Upazila

Journal of Public Administration and Governance ◽

10.5296/jpag.v10i1.16103 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 211

Author(s):

Jobayda Gulshan Ara ◽

S. M. Rafid Amin ◽

Khadiza Zannat Sheuli

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Service Providers ◽

Care Service ◽

Health Care Service ◽

Electronic Devices ◽

Primary Treatment ◽

Survey Method ◽

Community Clinics ◽

Great Opportunity ◽

The Government

E-Health is the new component of e-governance which can give cost-effective, efficient, less time-consuming services and a key strategy to meet people health related needs by using different electronic devices. The aim of this study is to identify the effectiveness of e-health services provided by community clinics situated in Sylhet sadar upazila and also discover the major challenges faced by community clinics to provide e-health services. In order to explain and exploring the effectiveness of e-health services provided by Community Clinics social survey method has been used in this study. E-health initiative through community clinics are creating a great opportunity for the rural backward people to access primary treatment and helping them to connect with specialized doctors using electronic devices. For these purpose laptops, modems and others electronic devices are provided in every community clinic but the majority of service providers said the standards of these are not satisfactory. Service receivers (68.00%) said there has a limited access to consult with specialized doctors in their CC’s means telemedicine facilities are not available. Inadequate ICT infrastructure, insufficient training program and other instruments create difficulty in terms of ensuring safe and effective health services in rural area. The government should provide sufficient training facility for the service providers, ensure sound development of ICT infrastructures and arrange different program to inform the public about the available facilities of community clinics can create a more effectual system of health care service delivery.

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Healthcare Service Delivery News in Pakistani Print Media: A Comparative Analysis of Daily Jang and Daily Dawn

Global Mass Communication Review ◽

10.31703/gmcr.2020(v-ii).01 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol V (II) ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Abid Mehmood ◽

Sajjad Ali

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Literature Review ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Quantitative Methodology ◽

News Stories ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

Health Related ◽

The Government

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Market-Based Governance in Public Healthcare Delivery

Advances in Healthcare Information Systems and Administration - The NHS and Contemporary Health Challenges From a Multilevel Perspective ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-3928-6.ch001 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-35

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

New Public Management ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Public Healthcare ◽

Informal Networks ◽

Public Health Services ◽

The Government ◽

The Uk

This chapter analyses the market-based reforms introduced in the UK. From 1979 onwards, it is clear that market governance has been central in the delivery of public healthcare services in the UK. The move towards using private sector techniques to run public health services has been reinforced over the last few decades, and New Public Management (NPM) reforms have often been more pronounced than in many other European countries. The chapter considers how public health services have been reconfigured within the changing boundaries between the state and its citizens. The government still continues to play a major role in the running of health services and decision making, even in the new configuration of public health services and the extension of informal networks, but health policy is also now formulated through a variety of different actors. This chapter will finish by presenting how healthcare is organised today in the UK following these reforms.

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Membangun Komunikasi dalam Sinergi Pelayanan Kesehatan di Kabupaten Bandung

KOMUNIKA Jurnal Dakwah dan Komunikasi ◽

10.24090/komunika.v14i1.3033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 17-28

Author(s):

Ditha Prasanti ◽

Ikhsan Fuady ◽

Sri Seti Indriani

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Service ◽

Health Services ◽

Active Role ◽

Communication Process ◽

Public Health Services ◽

District Health ◽

The Government ◽

The One ◽

The Village

The "one data" policy driven by the government through the Ministry of Health is believed to be able to innovate and give a new face to health services. Of course, the improvement of health services starts from the smallest and lowest layers, namely Polindes. Starting from this policy and the finding of relatively low public health service problems, the authors see a health service in Polindes, which contributes positively to improving the quality of public health services. The health service is the author's view of the communication perspective through the study of Communication in the Synergy of Public Health Services Polindes (Village Maternity Post) in Tarumajaya Village, Kertasari District, Bandung Regency. The method used in this research is a case study. The results of the study revealed that public health services in Polindes are inseparable from the communication process that exists in the village. The verbal communication process includes positive synergy between the communicator and the communicant. In this case, the communicators are village midwives, village officials, namely the village head and his staff, the sub-district health center, and the active role of the village cadres involved. In contrast, the communicant that was targeted was the community in the village of Tarumajaya. This positive synergy results in a marked increase in public services, namely by providing new facilities in the village, RTK (Birth Waiting Home). Kebijakan “one data” yang dimotori oleh pemerintah melalui Kementerian kesehatan diyakini mampu membuat inovasi dan memberikan wajah baru terhadap layanan kesehatan. Tentunya, perbaikan layanan kesehatan tersebut dimulai dari lapisan terkecil dan terbawah yakni Polindes. Berawal dari kebijakan tersebut dan masih ditemukannya masalah pelayanan kesehatan publik yang relatif rendah, penulis melihat sebuah layanan kesehatan di Polindes, yang memberikan kontribusi positif dalam peningkatan kualitas layanan kesehatan masyarakat. Pelayanan kesahatan tersebut penulis lihat dari perpektif komunikasi melaui penelitian Komunikasi dalam Sinergi Pelayanan Kesehatan Publik Polindes (Pos Bersalin Desa) di Desa Tarumajaya, Kecamatan Kertasari, Kabupaten Bandung ini dilakukan. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah studi kasus. Hasil penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa pelayanan kesehatan publik di Polindes, tidak terlepas dari adanya proses komunikasi yang terjalin di desa tersebut. Proses komunikasi verbal tersebut meliputi sinergitas positif antara pihak komunikator dan komunikan. Dalam hal ini, komunikator tersebut adalah Bidan Desa, Aparat Desa yakni Kepala Desa beserta staffnya, Puskesmas tingkat kecamatan, serta peran aktif dari para kader desa yang terlibat. Sedangkan komunikan yang menjadi target adalah masyarakat di desa Tarumajaya. Sinergitas positif tersebut menghasilkan peningkatan pelayanan publik yang nyata, yaitu dengan adanya penyediaan fasilitas baru di desa, RTK (Rumah Tunggu Kelahiran).

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The Politics of Health Finance Reform in Hong Kong

Healthcare Management and Economics ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-3982-9.ch006 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 69-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Raymond K. H. Chan

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Financing ◽

User Fees ◽

Alternative Methods ◽

Public Health Services ◽

Finance Reform ◽

Health Finance ◽

The Government ◽

Welfare Politics

Since the late 1950s, Hong Kong’s public health services have increased. They are mainly funded by taxes, supplemented by minimal user fees. In the late 1980s, the government recognized the limitations of this financing model and subsequently proposed alternative methods of funding. Their proposals have been rejected by various stakeholders, who represented different, and even conflicting, values and interests. This paper describes the development of health services and the debates that have surrounded health financing since the late 1980s. It shows that the health finance debate in Hong Kong is not a simple issue that can be tackled by rational planning; instead, it is a complex consequence of welfare politics in an increasingly mobilized society.

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Politics Matters

Research Anthology on Public Health Services, Policies, and Education ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-8960-1.ch025 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 565-575

Author(s):

Raymond K. H. Chan

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Financing ◽

User Fees ◽

Alternative Methods ◽

Public Health Services ◽

Health Finance ◽

Rational Planning ◽

The Government ◽

Welfare Politics

Hong Kong's public health services gradually developed since the 1950s. They are mainly funded by taxes, supplemented by minimal user fees. In the late 1980s, the government recognized the limitations of this financing model and has subsequently proposed alternative methods of funding. Their proposals have been rejected by various stakeholders, who represent different, and even conflicting, values and interests; and eventually can only end up with a limited voluntary health insurance scheme. This chapter describes the development of health services and the debates that have surrounded health financing since the late 1980s. It shows that the health finance debate in Hong Kong is not a simple issue that can be tackled by rational planning; instead, it is a complex consequence of welfare politics in an increasingly mobilized society.

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