THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYMPTOMS AND HEALTH FACILITY CHOICE IN THE CENTRAL REGION VIETNAM

2016 ◽  
pp. 52-58
Author(s):  
Minh Tam Nguyen ◽  
Shimamura Yasuharu

Background: Patients often have their focus on looking for the high-quality healthcare services while minimizing costs in order to choose the healthcare facilities appropriate to their needs. Moreover, a double burden disease has led to changes in healthcare delivery model and health seeking behavior of patients. However, the relationship between such illness and the utilization of health care services has rarely been empirically assessed. Objective: To clarify how health status and symptoms associated with the healthcare facility choice. Methods: We conducted this survey in 3 provinces (Thua Thien Hue, Quang Tri, and Khanh Hoa), with 6,898 residents in 1,478 households. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-2) was used to classify the symptoms. Results: There were 1,816 people having illness/injury during the last 3 months (26.3) and the majority of them went to CHCs when they got sick. Patients with digestive, neurological and respiratory symptoms were more likely to use CHCs as the first contact point. In contrast, people with musculoskeletal, female genital, and urological diseases were more likely to visit the higher level facilities such as provincial and central hospitals than CHCs. Key words: Healthcare sevices

Author(s):  
Duygu Ayhan Baser ◽  
Özge Mıhcı ◽  
Meltem Tugce Direk ◽  
Mustafa Cankurtaran

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the attitudes, views and solution proposals of family physicians (FPs) about primary healthcare problems of Syrian refugee patients. This study would be the very first study for Turkey that evaluates the attitudes, views and solution proposals of FPs about primary healthcare problems of Syrian refugee patients. Background: Following the anti-regime demonstrations that started in March 2011, the developments in Syria created one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world and the largest number of asylum seekers continue to be hosted in Turkey. There are some studies evaluating asylum seekers’ access to healthcare services in Europe, and the common result is that refugees have free access to primary healthcare services in most countries; however, they face many obstacles when accessing primary healthcare services. While there are studies in the literature evaluating the situation of access to primary healthcare services from the perspective of asylum seekers; there are few studies evaluating the opinions/views of FPs. Methods: A qualitative methodology informed by the grounded theory was used to guide the research. A total of 20 FPs were interviewed face to face through semi-structured interviews, using 12 questions about their lived experience and views caring of refugee population. Interviews were analysed thematically. Finding: The following themes were revealed: Benefiting from Primary Health Care Services, Benefiting from Rights, Differences Between the Approach/Attitudes of Turkish Citizens and Refugees, Barriers to Healthcare Delivery, Training Needs of Physicians, Solution proposals. FPs reported that there is a need for support in primary care and a need for training them and refugees in this regard and they specified refugee healthcare centres are the best healthcare centres for refugees; however, the number of these and provided services should be increased.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 888
Author(s):  
Leopoldo Sdino ◽  
Andrea Brambilla ◽  
Marta Dell’Ovo ◽  
Benedetta Sdino ◽  
Stefano Capolongo

The need for 24/7 operation, and the increasing requests of high-quality healthcare services contribute to framing healthcare facilities as a complex topic, also due to the changing and challenging environment and huge impact on the community. Due to its complexity, it is difficult to properly estimate the construction cost in a preliminary phase where easy-to-use parameters are often necessary. Therefore, this paper aims to provide an overview of the issue with reference to the Italian context and proposes an estimation framework for analyzing hospital facilities’ construction cost. First, contributions from literature reviews and 14 case studies were analyzed to identify specific cost components. Then, a questionnaire was administered to construction companies and experts in the field to obtain data coming from practical and real cases. The results obtained from all of the contributions are an overview of the construction cost components. Starting from the data collected and analyzed, a preliminary estimation tool is proposed to identify the minimum and maximum variation in the cost when programming the construction of a hospital, starting from the feasibility phase or the early design stage. The framework involves different factors, such as the number of beds, complexity, typology, localization, technology degree and the type of maintenance and management techniques. This study explores the several elements that compose the cost of a hospital facility and highlights future developments including maintenance and management costs during hospital facilities’ lifecycle.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro Z Dela Cruz ◽  
Ruth A Ortega-Dela Cruz

Background/Aims Public hospitals are the primary means of healthcare delivery in developing countries. Given the pressing need for efficient health services, it is imperative to know the extent to which a country's public healthcare institutions meet an ever increasing public demand. This study aimed to assess the state of hospital facilities among public health care institutions in a developing country. Methods Descriptive research methods were used, including needs analysis along with management and client satisfaction surveys, in order to analyse information on issues that related to the management of hospital facilities in the Philippines. Various members of the hospital community were selected to assess different aspects of hospital management. Results The results of this study show that most concerns stemmed from the lack of financial resources, materials, equipment and technological innovations; insufficient knowledge, skills and human resources; and problems that related to processes and methodologies. Conclusions Public hospitals are in dire need of facility upkeep to maintain their operations. This has become a more pressing concern because of the very limited resources at the disposal of public hospitals. This study also highlighted the crucial role played by the national government in finding effective and efficient ways to address these issues and concerns to ensure successful delivery of healthcare services in the country.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jialing Qiu ◽  
Duo Song ◽  
Juan Nie ◽  
Mengyi Su ◽  
Chun Hao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The number of Chinese migrants in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasing, which is part of the south-south migration. The healthcare seeking challenges for Chinese migrants in Africa are different from local people and other global migrants. The aim of this study is to explore utilization of local health services and barriers to health services access among Chinese migrants in Kenya. Methods Thirteen in-depth interviews (IDIs) and six focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among Chinese migrants (n = 32) and healthcare-related stakeholders (n = 3) in Nairobi and Kisumu, Kenya. Data was collected, transcribed, translated, and analyzed for themes. Results Chinese migrants in Kenya preferred self-treatment by taking medicines from China. When ailments did not improve, they then sought care at clinics providing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or received treatment at Kenyan private healthcare facilities. Returning to China for care was also an option depending on the perceived severity of disease. The main supply-side barriers to local healthcare utilization by Chinese migrants were language and lack of health insurance. The main demand-side barriers included ignorance of available healthcare services and distrust of local medical care. Conclusions Providing information on quality healthcare services in Kenya, which includes Chinese language translation assistance, may improve utilization of local healthcare facilities by Chinese migrants in the country.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bafreen Sherif ◽  
Ahmed Awaisu ◽  
Nadir Kheir

Abstract Background The annual New Zealand refugee quota was increased to 1500 places from 2020 onwards as a response to the global refugee crisis. The specific healthcare needs of refugees are not clearly understood globally and communication between healthcare providers and refugees remains poor. Methods A phenomenological qualitative methodology was employed to conduct semi-structured interviews among purposively selected stakeholders who work in refugee organisations and relevant bodies in New Zealand. Results The participants indicated the need for a national framework of inclusion, mandating cultural competency training for frontline healthcare and non-healthcare personnel, creation of a national interpretation phone line, and establishing health navigators. Barriers to accessing health services identified included some social determinants of health such as housing and community environment; health-seeking behaviour and health literacy; and social support networks. Future healthcare delivery should focus on capacity building of existing services, including co-design processes, increased funding for refugee-specific health services, and whole government approach. Conclusion Policymakers and refugee organisations and their frontline personnel should seek to address the deficiencies identified in order to provide equitable, timely and cost-effective healthcare services for refugees in New Zealand.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Milton ◽  
F. I. Alkali ◽  
F. Modibbo ◽  
J. Sanders ◽  
A. S. Mukaddas ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To explore the experiences and perceptions of stillbirth among mothers from a tertiary medical centre in Kano, Northern Nigeria. Design Qualitative, interpretative. Setting Tertiary healthcare facility, Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital (MMSH), Kano, Northern Nigeria. Sample Mothers who had given birth to a liveborn baby at the MMSH in the prior 6 months (n = 31). In order to capture the experiences and perception of stillbirth within this cohort we approached mothers who had in a previous pregnancy experienced a stillbirth. Of the 31 who attended 16 had a previous stillbirth. Methods Semi-structured Focus Group Discussions, consisting of open-ended questions about stillbirth, beliefs, experiences and influences were held in MMSH, conducted over 1 day. Results Our findings highlight that this is a resource-poor tertiary facility serving an ever-growing population, increasing strain on the hospital and healthcare workers. Many of the participants highlighted needing permission from certain family members before accessing healthcare or medical treatment. We identified that mothers generally have knowledge on self-care during pregnancy, yet certain societal factors prevented that from being their priority. Judgement and blame was a common theme, yet a complex area entwined with traditions, superstitions and the pressure to procreate with many mothers described being made to feel useless and worthless if they did not birth a live baby. Conclusions As access to healthcare becomes easier, there are certain traditions, family and social dynamics and beliefs which conflict with scientific knowledge and act as a major barrier to uptake of healthcare services. The findings highlight the need for investment in maternity care, appropriate health education and public enlightenment; they will help inform appropriate interventions aimed at reducing stigma around stillbirth and aide in educating mothers about the importance of appropriate health seeking behaviour. Stillbirths are occurring in this area of the world unnecessarily, globally there has been extensive research conducted on stillbirth prevention. This research has highlighted some of the areas which can be tackled by modifying existing successful interventions to work towards reducing preventable stillbirths.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Zadnik ◽  
Ana Mihor ◽  
Sonja Tomsic ◽  
Tina Zagar ◽  
Nika Bric ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the provision and use of healthcare services throughout the world. In Slovenia, an epidemic was officially declared between mid-March and mid-May 2020. Although all non-essential health care services were put on hold by government decree, oncological services were listed as an exception. Nevertheless, as cancer control depends also on other health services and additionally major changes in people’s behaviour likely occurred, we aimed to analyse whether cancer diagnosis and management were affected during the COVID-19 epidemic in Slovenia.MethodsWe analysed routine data for the period November 2019 through May 2020 from three sources: (1) from the Slovenian Cancer Registry we analysed data on pathohistological and clinical practice cancer notifications from two major cancer centres in Ljubljana and Maribor; (2) from the e-referral system we analysed data on all referrals in Slovenia issued for oncological services, stratified by type of referral; and (3) from the administrative data of the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana we analysed data on outpatient visits by type as well as on diagnostic imaging performed.ResultsCompared to the November 2019 – February 2020 average, the decrease in April 2020 was about 43% and 29% for pathohistological and clinical cancer notifications; 33%, 46% and 85% for first, control and genetic counselling referrals; 19% (53%), 43% (72%) and 20% (21%) for first (and control) outpatient visits at the radiotherapy, surgery and medical oncology sectors at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, and 48%, 76%, and 42% for X-rays, mammograms and ultrasounds performed at the Institute, respectively. The number of CT and MRI scans performed was not affected.ConclusionsSignificant drops in first referrals for oncological services, first visits and imaging studies performed at the Institute, as well as cancer notifications in April 2020 point to a possibility of a delayed cancer diagnosis for some patients during the first surge of SARS-CoV-2 cases in Slovenia. The reasons for the delay cannot be ascertained with certainty and could be linked to health-seeking behaviour of the patients, the beliefs and practices of doctors and/ or the health system management during the epidemic. Drops in control referrals and control visits were expected and are most likely due to the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana postponing non-essential follow-ups through May 2020.


Author(s):  
Nadia Bukhari ◽  
Maryam Siddique ◽  
Nazia Bilal ◽  
Sobia Javed ◽  
Arzu Moosvi ◽  
...  

AbstractThe lack of access to safe medicines and quality healthcare services in peri-urban and rural areas is a major challenge driving a health system to innovate new models of care. This commentary will discuss the implementation and impact of the “Guddi baji” tele-pharmacy model, a project piloted by doctHERs, one of Pakistan’s leading telemedicine organizations. This innovative model has described the reintegration of women into the workforce by leveraging technology to improve the level of primary health care services and contributes to safe medication practice in a remote area. Our intervention proposed the deployment of technology-enabled, female frontline health workers known as the Guddi baji (meaning The Good Sister) in a rural village. They serve as an “access point to health care” that is linked to a remotely located health care professional; a licensed doctor or a pharmacist within this model.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S143-S144
Author(s):  
Funmi Togonu-Bickersteth ◽  
Joshua O Aransiola ◽  
Catherine O Oyetunji-Alemede ◽  
Opeyemi Ekundayo ◽  
Oluwasegun Oluwaleimu

Abstract Abstract The choice of healthcare facility by older persons is an important factor in their healthcare seeking behavior, and this can be associated with a number of factors. This study investigated the relationship between social support and healthcare facility choice of older persons in Nigeria. Other factors associated with the choice of healthcare facilities by older persons were also identified. Quantitative data were collected from a sample of 3,696 elderly aged 60 years above (55.6% male; 44.4% females; mean age = 69.2, SD = 8.60) who were selected through multi-stage systematic random sampling. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that older persons who received social support were more likely to seek treatment in formal healthcare facilities, while older persons who did not receive any form of social support were more likely to seek treatment in informal healthcare facilities. Membership of social or religious groups was found to be a predictor of health seeking behavior among the older adults. Sex, age, level of education, and ability to handle activities of daily living (ADL), and ease of access to the nearest health facility, were found to be significantly associated with choice of healthcare facilities. The article concludes that there is need for conscious planning to provide formal supports to ease access of older persons to available health facilities. Such facilitation should include financial support and removal of existing physical and cultural barriers to health care utilization by older persons.


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