scholarly journals COVID-19-A CHALLENGE FOR THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Sana Wazir
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Strict Adherence ◽  
The World ◽  
And Control ◽  
Care System

Until  the  last  century,  coronavirus  have  been  associated  with  non-severe  respiratory  infections  in humans'.  In December  2019, a new coronavirus  was isolated  in patients related   to the Wet  market  in the  city  of Wuhan  (China)². It  rapidly  spread  across  the world and  has become the largest pandemic since the Spanish Flu in 1918. More than half  a  million  people   worldwide  were  infected  by  the  end  of  March  2020  with  an increasing  number of deaths  being reported³  The first COVID-19 case in Pakistan was reported in the end of February, since  than the total confirmed cases of COVID- 19 are 261,914 and reported  deaths  of 5,522 and  recovered  cases are 198,509⁴. By now we are all aware  of the symptoms  of the still evolving   disease,  which  can  include  cough, fever  and  chills,  muscle  pain,  sore  throat,  shortness   of  breath  and  loss  of  taste  and smell. It can also include gastrointestinal symptoms and headaches. The  year  2020  has  proved  to  be  a  nightmare  for  the  economy  and  health  care; creating   a panic  situation  across  the  world⁵. It  is a three-fold  challenge  for  the health care    professionals:   one   concerning   health   care   of   the   general   population   and  prevention  and  control  of  infection  in  the  community,  secondly  providing  health  care  facilities  for  combating  this  critical  situation,  and  thirdly  safety  and  protection  of   the front-liners³. This  is  an  uphill  task  for  developing  countries  like  Pakistan  due  to   low socioeconomic reasons⁵. The  virus  is transmitted  from human  to human droplets  putting  the medical  personnel at   greater  risk  and  requiring  the  use  of  full  personal  protective  equipment  (PPE)  as they   are  in  close  contact  with  such  patients.  The  shortage  of  PPE  is  a  worldwide problem.   Proper  triage  systems should  be established  at different  health  care centers for  screening   of  suspected  COVID-19  patients.  Infected  patients  require  critical  care and assisted   ventilation  which  needs professional  training  of staff  who are involved  in care of virus   infected patients.  High  demand for ventilators  and establishment  of high dependency  units  on   emergency  basis  is  also  a  challenge.  The  emerging  need  for experienced   frontline  health   care  professionals   is  putting  our  skeletal  health  care system  under  a  lot  of   pressure.  As  we  are  eagerly  waiting  for drugs  and  vaccines  to combat this pandemic, the  only option we have is to take precautions. However,  health care professionals  cannot stay away  from the patients nor can they avoid contact with suspected   cases   of  COVID-19.   They   are    the   frontline   warriors   fighting   with   full strength. They are under tremendous physical  and mental stress. Many doctors across the world have lost their lives mainly in China and Italy,  and several deaths have been reported  in Pakistan.  Apart from their health, they are at a high  risk of transmitting  the disease to family and friends. Many queries still need to be answered in research for best scientific evidence in order to   prevent  and  control  spread  of  COVID-19  and  clinical  management   of  infected patients.   COVID-19  pandemic  is  a  challenge  for  health  care  system  globally,  which should  be   combated  with  improvement  in  acquiring  knowledge  about  the  disease, spreading  that   knowledge  to the common  man  and getting  acclimatized  with  the new normal  by  changing  our   practice  guidelines  for  providing  best  medical  care.  Public awareness   and   strict    adherence   to   standard   operational   procedures   cannot   be stressed enough to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Navigating the health care system: perceptions of patients with chronic pain

2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 162-168
Author(s):  
AL Dewar ◽  
K Gregg ◽  
MI White ◽  
J Lander
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Treatment Compliance ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Care System

A new framework is needed for patients with chronic pain and their primary care physicians that acknowledges the individual’s experiences and provides evidence-informed education and better linkages to community-based resources. This study describes the experience of 19 chronic-pain sufferers who seek relief via the health care system. Their experiences were recorded through in-depth semistructured interviews and analyzed through qualitative methods. The participants reported early optimism, then disillusionment, and finally acceptance of living with chronic pain. Both individuals with chronic pain and their health care professionals need evidence-informed resources and information on best practices to assist them to manage pain. Empathetic communication between health care professionals and individuals with chronic pain is crucial because insensitive communication negatively affects the individual, reduces treatment compliance and increases health care utilization.

Medical standard as a historical component on the way of clinical audit

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 108-115
Author(s):  
А.B. Zimenkovsky ◽  
◽  
T.G. Gutor ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Clinical Audit ◽  
Medical Aid ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Medical Standard ◽  
Care System

Aim - the search, analysis and systematization of historical facts concerning the formation and evo-lution of the world medical standartization; severance of its certain long-standing models for the optimization of settling and introduction of the existing, and future analogs, particularly, in the clinical audit format. Material and Methods. In order to study the medical standard as a historical component the fol-lowing methods were used: bibliographic, historical, analytical and methods of systematization and comparison. Results and Discussion. As a result of the conducted research the main historical events in the world development of the medical standartization starting from 1500 up till nowadays were col-lected. In order to study the evolution of the medical standartization, the analysis of the normative documents that have regulated the process of standartization, especially the Doctor's statute(s) in Russia, Minimal standard of the medical equipment and works of the American college of surgeons, was carried out. The scientific works that initiated the introduction of the clinical audit in the Health Care system in Ukraine, Turkey, the USA and Great Britain were throroughly analyzed. Conclusions. The improvement of quality as to rendering the medical aid is a job priority in the health care systems in many countries. For that reason, the search for its optimization was and is still retrieved for many centuries. The territorial formation of medical standartization is associated with England, Russia and the USA, but the occurrence of clinical audit is connected with Ukraine, Turkey, the USA and Great Britain. The foundations of the medical standardization was lauched in 1500 year, while the clinical audit - in 1854 year. The medical standartization is a reflection of the history of development of the organization of health care system, that's why the expertness (knowl-edge) of historical stages concerning the setting and the introduction of medical standartization may give a new impulse in its improvement and development under present-day conditions of reforma-tion in the medical sphere in Ukraine. The earlier beginning of implementation of the medical stan-dartization in the health care system in different countries makes it possible to actualize its introduc-tion into the clinical audit format, that, in its turn, allows to improve the quality of rendering the medical aid. Key words: medical standartization, clinical audit, quality of medical aid

scholarly journals Access barriers to visual health

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Alejandra Rodríguez-Echeverría ◽  
Angélica María Páez-Castro
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
World Health ◽  
Local Health Authority ◽  
Barriers To Access ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Visual Health ◽  
Care System

A number of factors and conditions hinder and restrict access to the health care system and its different services; these barriers to access put at risk the health of people by affecting adequate processes. Objective: To carry out a literature review on barriers to access to the health care system and visual health services in Colombia and around the world. Methodology: A literature review was carried out based on a search of the Medline, ScienceDirect, and Pubmed databases, as well as indexed public health journals and the websites of the Local Health Authority, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, the UNESCO, and the Brien Holden Vision Institute. Results: The main barriers related to demand, both in general services and in visual health, are the lack of perception on the need for service and lack of economic resources; at the offer level, the existing policies constitute a real obstacle. Conclusions: Awareness-raising in the population, together with the implementation of health policies that grant equal access to health care services, are fundamental to prevent people from being affected, to a large extent, by barriers related to demand or offer, regardless of their location or level of income.

scholarly journals The Cuban Healthcare System: An Insight

2021 ◽  
pp. 63-69
Author(s):  
Nisha Zahid ◽  
Farah Ahmed ◽  
Noor Israr ◽  
Akhtar Ali ◽  
Sidra Farooq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Primary Health Care System ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The World ◽  
Care System

All the countries in the world are struggling to improve their healthcare systems regardless of being rich or poor. Talking about Cuba, it represents an example of well-developed healthcare system and policies which is comparable to developed countries of the world. The success of Cuban healthcare system largely depends upon its strong primary health care system, proper immunization, robust public health policies, treating all the population classes equally providing them with free healthcare services. The control of infection spread and non-communicable diseases also contributes to the success of Cuban Healthcare system. We have discussed the Cuban health care system from start till the current situation and also, we performed SWOT analysis to bring the clearer depiction of the Cuban Healthcare System as it highlights the key internal and external issues which are further discussed in detail.

Stratification and “Universality”

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany D. Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
State Level ◽  
Universal Health Care System ◽  
Documentation Status ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Universal Health ◽  
Care System

Tiffany D. Joseph’s chapter examines how stratification of access by immigration status effectively undermined a “universal” health policy. While the ACA only extended coverage to U.S. citizens and eligible documented immigrants, Massachusetts pursued a universal health care system at the state level and offered coverage to all residents, regardless of documentation status. Despite this policy that aimed for inclusion, immigrants in Massachusetts were still more likely than non-immigrants to remain uninsured. Joseph interviewed Brazilian and Dominican immigrants, health care professionals, and immigrant/health organization employees to find out why immigrants remained uninsured. She identified immigration-related, health care system, and bureaucratic barriers that prevented individuals from effectively accessing care. Massachusetts serves as both a model and a cautionary tale for ACA implementation, with barriers exacerbated for immigrant, low-income, and minority populations.

scholarly journals Social and Health System Complexities Impacting on Decision-Making for Utilization of Oncology and Palliative Care in an African Context: A Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Agom ◽  
Stuart Allen ◽  
Sarah Neill ◽  
Judith Sixsmith ◽  
Helen Poole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Care System

Background: There is a dearth of research focusing on identifying the social complexities impacting on oncology and palliative care (PC), and no study has explored how the health-care system in Nigeria or other African contexts may be influencing utilization of these services. Aim: This study explored how social complexities and the organization of health-care influenced the decision-making process for the utilization of oncology and PC in a Nigerian hospital. Methods: This qualitative study used an interpretive descriptive design. Data were collected using semistructured interview guides with 40 participants, comprising health-care professionals, patients, and their families. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate and analyze patterns within the data. Findings: Three themes were identified: dysfunctional structural organization of the health-care delivery system, service-users’ economic status, and the influence of social networks. The interrelationship between the themes result in patients and their family members decisions either to present late to the hospital, miss their clinical appointments, or not to seek oncological health care and PC. Conclusion: This article offers insights into the role of the health-care system, as organized currently in Nigeria, as “autoinhibitory” and not adequately prepared to address the increasing burden of cancer. We therefore argue that there is a need to restructure the Nigerian health-care system to better meet the needs of patients with cancer and their families as failure to do so will strengthen the existing inequalities, discourage usage, and increase mortality.

Les motifs du suicide gériatrique: une étude exploratoire

2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-205
Author(s):  
Luc Legris ◽  
Michel Préville
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Basic Needs ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Need To Belong ◽  
Psychological Autopsy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Care System

ABSTRACTFive semi-structured interviews were conducted, using the psychological autopsy method, in order to document the causes of geriatric suicide and to describe the interaction among suicidal elderly persons, their personal and social environments, and health care professionals. The results of this study support our hypothesis that elderly persons view suicide as a means of alleviating the psychological suffering associated with the frustration they experience on account of their inability to satisfy their basic needs. Three types of basic needs that affect the suicidal tendency of elderly persons were identified: the need to self-actualize, the need to belong, and the need to feel safe. The results also show that the people who make up the social and personal environment of elderly persons have a limited role in the prevention of suicide. This is due to their unfamiliarity with the problems surrounding the fulfilment of the basic needs of the suicidal elderly. Furthermore, as revealed in the cases studied here, the intervention of the health care system has centred mainly on the use of medication as a treatment for symptoms of psychological distress. The health care system pays little attention to the dissonance associated with the frustration suicidal elderly persons experience on account of their inability to satisfy their basic needs. Finally, the outcome of this qualitative study suggests that understanding the basic needs of the elderly can be very useful in understanding geriatric suicide.

Climate change and Australia's healthcare system - risks, research and responses

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haylee J. Weaver ◽  
Grant A. Blashki ◽  
Anthony G. Capon ◽  
Anthony J. McMichael
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Promotion Policy ◽  
Care System

Climate change will affect human health, mostly adversely, resulting in a greater burden on the health care system, in addition to any other coexistent increases in demand (e.g. from Australia’s increasingly ageing population). Understanding the extent to which health is likely to be affected by climate change will enable policy makers and practitioners to prepare for changing demands on the health care system. This will require prioritisation of key research questions and building research capacity in the field. There is an urgent need to better understand the implications of climate change for the distribution and prevalence of diseases, disaster preparedness and multidisciplinary service planning. Research is needed to understand the relationship of climate change to health promotion, policy evaluation and strategic financing of health services. Training of health care professionals about climate change and its effects will also be important in meeting long-term workforce demands.

Limitations in Health-Care System Resources Affecting Adherence of Patient With Psoriasis to Topical Drugs: A Focus Group Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-60
Author(s):  
Mathias Tiedemann Svendsen ◽  
Steven R. Feldman ◽  
Sylvia Naiga Tiedemann ◽  
Anne Sofie Stochholm Sørensen ◽  
Cecilie Marie Ringgaard Rivas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Continuity Of Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Topical Therapy ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Topical Drugs ◽  
System Resources ◽  
Care System

Background: Topical therapy is first-line treatment for patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis, but low adherence to topical drugs is a barrier to treatment success. Health-care system resources are considered to have an impact on adherence of patient with psoriasis to topical drugs. Objective: To investigate dermatology nurses’ perception of the impact of health-care system resources on topical therapy adherence in patients with psoriasis. Methods: A semistructured focus group study was performed with 6 dermatology nurses and 2 student nurses. Participants were recruited from a dermatology outpatient hospital clinic. The study focused on the dermatology nurses’ perception of the effect health-care system resources (including health-care services provided to patients, how clinics are organized, and how the health-care personnel communicate) have on adherence of patients with psoriasis to topical treatment. The focus group discussion was divided into 3 areas: communication with patients and intercollegial communication, follow-up visits and admissions to consultations by other health-care professions, and how to establish consultations to support adherence of patients with psoriasis to topical drugs. Data were analyzed by a systematic text condensation method based on a phenomenological–hermeneutic approach. Results: Nurses identified a number of health-care system resources that may affect adherence of patients with psoriasis, primarily professional collaboration and communication, continuity of care, and the establishment of nurse consultations. Conclusion: Adherence may by negatively affected by contradictory information about topical drugs due to inadequate interprofessional collaboration among health-care professionals. Improving communication between health-care professionals and patients, ensuring continuity of care, and establishing nurse consultations may improve topical therapy outcomes.

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