Toward an Informed-Patient Approach to E-Health Services

With the expanding utilization of digital and technological media by public health providers and healthcare consumers, there is a need to evaluate the patients' role. There is good evidence of the growing acceptability of the Internet in seeking health information. This paper aims to evaluate the patients' role as an informed-patient. This role, albeit, with its limitations, affects the ways by which people consume health, consult their doctors and also influence health policy. This paper is a sociological and anthropological analysis of the effect of e-health services on the informed-patients' role and their ability to bring about social change through the Internet and their use of e-healthcare services. Through analyzing current literature and examples of health-related websites, this analysis focuses on informed-patients and how they are able to demand better health services for themselves and for their communities.

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The Importance of Information and Communication Technologies in Establishing Healthcare Services with a Universal Coverage

E-Health and Telemedicine ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8756-1.ch005 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 77-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Davuthan Günaydin ◽

Hakan Cavlak ◽

GamzeYıldız Şeren ◽

Korhan Arun

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Universal Coverage ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Health Practices ◽

Information And Communication

One of the most important challenges faced by the healthcare system is the organization of healthcare services to cope with the increase in population and aging of citizens. Especially in developing countries, demographic movements of the population, regional disparities, political concerns, and increasing expectations of health services have led to a search for new ways to serve all of the population with healthcare services. With traditional methods, it is not possible to increase the supply of health services because of inadequate infrastructure and shortcomings in quantity and quality of healthcare staff. This new health system called e-health and uses all of the possibilities provided by information and communication technologies that aim to improve public health. In this chapter, the effects of e-health practices on the quality and accessibility of healthcare services are assessed and the extent of e-health practices in Turkey are evaluated.

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The Importance of Information and Communication Technologies in Establishing Healthcare Services with a Universal Coverage

International Business ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-9814-7.ch033 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 691-707

Author(s):

Davuthan Günaydin ◽

Hakan Cavlak ◽

GamzeYıldız Şeren ◽

Korhan Arun

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Universal Coverage ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Health Practices ◽

Information And Communication

One of the most important challenges faced by the healthcare system is the organization of healthcare services to cope with the increase in population and aging of citizens. Especially in developing countries, demographic movements of the population, regional disparities, political concerns, and increasing expectations of health services have led to a search for new ways to serve all of the population with healthcare services. With traditional methods, it is not possible to increase the supply of health services because of inadequate infrastructure and shortcomings in quantity and quality of healthcare staff. This new health system called e-health and uses all of the possibilities provided by information and communication technologies that aim to improve public health. In this chapter, the effects of e-health practices on the quality and accessibility of healthcare services are assessed and the extent of e-health practices in Turkey are evaluated.

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The association between Internet use and health outcomes in the population of older adults

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.443 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

K Szulc ◽

M Duplaga

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Status ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Internet Use ◽

Health Behaviours ◽

The Internet ◽

Internet Users ◽

Health Related ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background The Internet has become one of the primary sources of health-related information. Less is known about the impact of Internet access and use on health-related outcomes in the older population, which frequently suffer from a digital divide. The main objective of this study was the assessment of the associations between Internet use and variables reflecting health status, the use of health services and health behaviours in the population at least 50 years old. Methods The analysis was carried out on the data set from the telephone-based survey in a sample of 1000 respondents representative for targeted age strata of Polish society. The effects of Internet use were assessed with logistic regression models after adjusting for key socioeconomic variables. Results Mean age (standard deviation) of respondents was 64.2 (9.6). In the study group, 51.1% respondents were Internet users, 19.4% - persons with disabilities, 21.2% were hospitalised at least once, and 51.0% visited health care facilities at least six times in preceding 12 months. The respondents being Internet users less frequently reported chronic diseases (OR, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.16-0.30), disability status (0.52, 0.37-0.72) and higher self-assessed health status (1.64, 1.24-2.16). They also less often used health services in the preceding 12 months (0.77, 0.60-0.99. Internet use was not associated with hospital admission in the preceding year (1.04, 0.76-1.41) and most of the health behaviours (smoking: 1.06, 0.77-1.45, physical activity: 0.85, 0.63-1.15, the consumption of fruits and vegetables: 0.73, 0.50-1.07). Interestingly, Internet users drunk more alcohol (1.52, 1.14-2.02). Conclusions In the population of older adults, the use of the Internet is associated with variables reflecting health status and the utilisation of health services. Higher health status and lower prevalence of chronic conditions among Internet users were found after adjusting for age and other socioeconomic factors. Key messages It was shown that Internet use may be related with more favourable health outcomes. The reported association should trigger further research on the impact of Internet in elderly persons.

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Barriers to the use of health services among deaf and hard of hearing adults in Greece: a Cross-Sectional Study

European Journal for Person Centered Healthcare ◽

10.5750/ejpch.v6i4.1566 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 638 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dialechti Tsimpida ◽

Daphne Kaitelidou ◽

Petros Galanis

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Sign Language ◽

Hard Of Hearing ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Minority Population ◽

Health Providers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Use Of Health Services

Rationale, Aims and Objectives: To explore the issues related to the use of health services by deaf and hard of hearing adults in Greece.Method: The study population consisted of 140 adults with hearing loss (86 deaf and 54 hard of hearing). We gathered information about sociodemographic characteristics, use of health services characteristics, satisfaction from health providers and complaints during the use of health services.Results: A considerable percentage of the participants did not make appropriate use of healthcare services, as they made avoidable visits to emergency departments even for minor, short-term conditions (p=0.002) or used to just wait for the symptoms to pass in an illness occurrence (p=0.06). They also experienced major difficulties as part of the health visit (p=0.01) and the quality of communication with health providers (p=0.002). The absence of assistive technology, along with the lack of low availability of Sign Language interpreters, were important barriers for those that communicate in Sign Language. Regarding the engagement with healthcare providers, there were high rates of dissatisfaction from doctors, nurses and receptionists related to issues during the use of health services.Conclusions: Our results underscore the fact that deaf and hard of hearing persons constitute a minority population that experience major barriers during the use of health services and considerable difficulties in the healthcare provider-patient relationship. In light of these findings, a special effort must be made to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing individuals receive appropriate, ethical and person-centered healthcare.

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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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Upaya Pengobatan Promotif, Preventif, Kuratif, dan Rehabilitatif Demam Berdarah di Kecamatan Bulukerto, Wonogiri

10.31227/osf.io/m47y2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Aldona Akhira Susanto

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Qualitative Research ◽

Mortality Rate ◽

Health Services ◽

Dengue Fever ◽

Local Health ◽

Health Providers ◽

Public Health Services ◽

Local Health Care

Background and Objective: Dengue fever is a disease caused by infection from a virus carried by Aedes (Ae.). In Indonesia, dengue fever has high mortality rate. To reduce the risk of dengue fever there are four stages of public health services. These services include promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative efforts. The purpose of this study was to determine the implementation of health services for dengue fever in Bulukerto. Method: This study use qualitative research with data in the form of descriptions. Result: Bulukerto has carried out four stages of health services. These efforts include counseling, GERMAS programs, outpatient or hospitalization, and education to patients. Conclusion: There are still rooms for improvement in local health care to minimalize the risk of dengue fever. Local health providers are expected to be more aware and active in preventing dengue feve. Aside from that, people in this society need more education concerning the risk and steps to prevent dengue fever.

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A Needs Assessment for Postgraduate Training in Selected Public Health Disciplines at the University of Zambia: A Mixed Methods Study

10.21203/rs.2.14599/v2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Maio Bulawayo ◽

Adam Silumbwe ◽

Margarate Nzala Munakampe ◽

Nawa Mukumbuta ◽

Juliet Musabula ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Health Economics ◽

Health Services ◽

Needs Assessment ◽

Postgraduate Training ◽

Training Needs ◽

Healthcare Management ◽

Public Health Training ◽

The University

Abstract Background: As most low and middle-income countries seek to achieve universal health coverage targets, there is an ever-increasing need to train human resources with the required core skills and competencies. This study reports on the needs assessment conducted to understand postgraduate training needs for three selected public health disciplines – Health Policy and Systems, Health Economics, and Healthcare Management and Planning – at the University of Zambia. Methods: The study adopted a cross sectional survey design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews administered to 32 participants, identified through a comprehensive stakeholder mapping process, holding selected management positions in public and private health service organisations across Zambia. The organisations included regulatory authorities, research institutions, government ministries, insurance firms, multilateral and health services organisations. Results: Overall, more than 68% of the stakeholders reported that they had no employees that were formally trained in the three disciplines. More than 90% of the stakeholders opined that training in these disciplines would be beneficial in providing competencies to strengthen service provision. The horizontal skills mismatch for health economics, and health services management and planning were found to be 93% and 100%, respectively. Among the key public health training needs were: policy development and analysis, economic evaluation, and strategic management. Conclusions: This study confirms that introducing post graduate training in the proposed public health disciplines will not only benefit Zambian health services organisations, but also help strengthen the health systems in general. For other empirical contexts, the findings imply the need for the introduction of academic programmes which respond to ever-changing public health skills demanded; and should be matched with local priorities and service delivery. Key words: Health policy & systems, health services management & planning, health economics.

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Implementing COVID-19 Surveillance Through Inter-Organizational Coordination: A Qualitative Study of Three Cities in Colombia

Health Policy and Planning ◽

10.1093/heapol/czab145 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Simon Turner ◽

Carolina Segura ◽

Natalia Niño

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Services ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Service Providers ◽

Health Planning ◽

Insurance Companies ◽

Health Providers ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Coordination Strategies

Abstract Introducing comprehensive surveillance is recommended as an urgent public health measure to control and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 worldwide. However, its implementation has proven challenging as it requires inter-organizational coordination among multiple health care stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of soft and hard mechanisms in the implementation of inter-organizational coordination strategies for COVID-19 surveillance within Colombia, drawing on evidence from the cities of Bogotá, Cali and Cartagena. The study used a case study approach to understand the perspectives of local and national authorities, insurance companies and health providers in the implementation of inter-organizational coordination strategies for COVID-19 surveillance. 81 semi-structured interviews were conducted between June and November 2020. The data was analysed by codes and categorized using New NVivo software. The study identified inter-organizational coordination strategies that were implemented to provide COVID-19 surveillance in the three cities. Both soft (e.g. trust and shared purpose) and hard mechanisms (e.g. formal agreements and regulations) acted as mediators for collaboration and helped to address existing structural barriers in the provision of health services. The findings suggest that soft and hard mechanisms contributed to promoting change among health care system stakeholders and improved inter-organizational coordination for disease surveillance. The findings contribute to evidence regarding practices to improve coordinated surveillance of disease, including the roles of new forms of financing and contracting between insurers and public and private health service providers, logistics regarding early diagnosis in infectious disease, and the provision of health services at the community level regardless of insurance affiliation. Our research provides evidence to improve disease surveillance frameworks in fragmented health systems contributing to public health planning and health system improvement.

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Rural Resident Experience on National Basic Public Health Services: A Cross-Sectional Survey in 10 Western Provinces of China

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare7040160 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 160

Author(s):

Jinlin Liu ◽

Ying Mao

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Large Scale ◽

Health Management ◽

Rural Resident ◽

Public Health Services ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Rural Residents ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Related

National basic public health services (BPHSs) are important for promoting the health of rural populations. A better understanding of rural BPHSs from the viewpoint of residents utilizing the services can help health-related departments and primary health care (PHC) centers further improve rural BPHSs. By conducting a large-scale cross-sectional survey in 10 western provinces of China, the study depicts rural resident experiences with rural BPHSs. Of the 9019 participants, 59.33% and 66.48% did not receive services related to health examinations or health education in the six months prior to the survey, respectively. A total of 56.90% were satisfied with the rural BPHSs, and the mean overall satisfaction score was 3.61 ± 0.908 (out of a maximum of 5). The most satisfying domain for rural residents with BPHSs was the attitude of PHC workers, whereas rural residents with chronic diseases were the least satisfied with the health management. Satisfaction with the attitude of PHC workers was identified as the strongest determinant of rural residents’ overall satisfaction with BPHSs. This study could enlighten rural BPHSs management in China.

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