CliFin

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 32-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Tulpan ◽  
Michelina Mancuso ◽  
Guillaume Durand ◽  
Chaouki Regoui ◽  
Luc Belliveau
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Health Care Resources ◽  
Frame Dependence

Over the past decade, the development of web-based Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for health has grown quite rapidly due to an increased need of data integration and spatial visualization. One GIS growth area in health is the construction of map-based applications that provide information on health care resources. Such applications are typically used as standard tools by public health departments, public health policy and research organizations, hospitals and health insurance organizations to provide public access to health care resources. This paper presents the design and development process of Clinic Finder (CliFin) - an open-access web-based GIS application relying on the Google Maps technology and providing access to a database with point of care facilities across the Province of New Brunswick, Canada. The uniqueness of CliFin consists in the implementation of a time-frame dependent search and results trimming approach, which allows users to identify clinics and hospitals open at any given time. The users are also encouraged to contribute with schedule updates and new point of care information to further develop CliFin’s database and its accuracy. The combination of GIS visualization capabilities, database management, user involvement in database update and the time-frame dependence of search results, confers CliFin increased practicality, especially in situations of crisis such as natural disasters.

“PHONE-CONNECT” - A Pilot Program Prescribing Phones to Address Digital Health Equity Needs in the COVID-19 Era (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gill Kazevman ◽  
Marck Mercado ◽  
Jennifer Hulme ◽  
Andrea Somers
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Health Care Intervention ◽  
Care Intervention

UNSTRUCTURED Vulnerable populations have been identified as having higher infection rates and poorer COVID-19 related outcomes, likely due to their inability to readily access primary care, follow public health directives and adhere to self-isolation guidelines. As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many health care services have adopted new digital solutions, relying on phone and internet connectivity. Yet, persons who are digitally inaccessible, such as those struggling with poverty or homelessness, are often unable to utilize these services. In response to this newly highlighted social disparity known as “digital health inequity”, emergency physicians at the University Health Network, Toronto, initiated a program called “PHONE CONNECT”. This novel approach attempts to improve patients’ access to health care, information and social services, as well as improve their ability to adhere to public health directives (social isolation and contact tracing). While similar programs addressing the same emerging issues have been recently described in the media, this is the first time phones are provided as a health care intervention in an emergency department. This innovative ED point-of-care intervention may have a significant impact on improving the health outcomes for vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and even beyond it.

ActionHealthNYC: Effectiveness of a Health Care Access Program for the Uninsured, 2016‒2017

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e10
Author(s):  
Rishi K. Sood ◽  
Jin Yung Bae ◽  
Adrienne Sabety ◽  
Pui Ying Chan ◽  
Caroline Heindrichs
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
New York ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care Access ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Access Program

Objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel health care access program (ActionHealthNYC) for uninsured immigrants. Methods. The evaluation was conducted as a randomized controlled trial in New York City from May 2016 through June 2017. Using baseline and follow-up survey data, we assessed health care access, patient experience, and health status. Results.At baseline, 25% of participants had a regular source of care; two thirds had visited a doctor in the past year and reported 2.5 visits in the past 12 months, on average. Nine to 12 months later, intervention participants were 1.2 times more likely to report having a primary care provider (58% vs 46%), were 1.2 times more likely to have seen a doctor in the past 9 months (91% vs 77%), and had 1.5 times more health care visits (4.1 vs 2.9) compared with control participants. Conclusions. ActionHealthNYC increased health care access among program participants. Public Health Implications. State and local policymakers should build on the progress that has been made over the last decade to expand and improve access to health care for uninsured immigrants. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print June 10, 2021: e1–e10. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306271 )

scholarly journals A Men Who Have Sex With Men–Friendly Doctor Finder Hackathon in Guangzhou, China: Development of a Mobile Health Intervention to Enhance Health Care Utilization (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunyan Li ◽  
Yuan Xiong ◽  
Hao Fong Sit ◽  
Weiming Tang ◽  
Brian J Hall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mhealth Intervention ◽  
Sex With Men

BACKGROUND Mobile health (mHeath)–based HIV and sexual health promotion among men who have sex with men (MSM) is feasible in low- and middle-income settings. However, many currently available mHealth tools on the market were developed by the private sector for profit and have limited input from MSM communities. OBJECTIVE A health hackathon is an intensive contest that brings together participants from multidisciplinary backgrounds to develop a proposed solution for a specific health issue within a short period. The purpose of this paper was to describe a hackathon event that aimed to develop an mHealth tool to enhance health care (specifically HIV prevention) utilization among Chinese MSM, summarize characteristics of the final prototypes, and discuss implications for future mHealth intervention development. METHODS The hackathon took place in Guangzhou, China. An open call for hackathon participants was advertised on 3 Chinese social media platforms, including Blued, a popular social networking app among MSM. All applicants completed a Web-based survey and were then scored. The top scoring applicants were grouped into teams based on their skills and content area expertise. Each team was allowed 1 month to prepare for the hackathon. The teams then came together in person with on-site expert mentorship for a 72-hour hackathon contest to develop and present mHealth prototype solutions. The judging panel included experts in psychology, public health, computer science, social media, clinical medicine, and MSM advocacy. The final prototypes were evaluated based on innovation, usability, and feasibility. RESULTS We received 92 applicants, and 38 of them were selected to attend the April 2019 hackathon. A total of 8 teams were formed, including expertise in computer science, user interface design, business or marketing, clinical medicine, and public health. Moreover, 24 participants self-identified as gay, and 3 participants self-identified as bisexual. All teams successfully developed a prototype tool. A total of 4 prototypes were designed as a mini program that could be embedded within a popular Chinese social networking app, and 3 prototypes were designed as stand-alone apps. Common prototype functions included Web-based physician searching based on one’s location (8 prototypes), health education (4 prototypes), Web-based health counseling with providers or lay health volunteers (6 prototypes), appointment scheduling (8 prototypes), and between-user communication (2 prototypes). All prototypes included strategies to ensure privacy protection for MSM users, and some prototypes offered strategies to ensure privacy of physicians. The selected prototypes are undergoing pilot testing. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of using a hackathon to create mHealth intervention tools. This suggests a different pathway to developing mHealth interventions and could be relevant in other settings.

scholarly journals Economic Burden and Health Care Access for Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in China: Web-Based Survey Study

10.2196/20629 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. e20629
Author(s):  
Qiao Yu ◽  
Chunpeng Zhu ◽  
Shuyi Feng ◽  
Liyi Xu ◽  
Shurong Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Medical Costs ◽  
Chinese Patients ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Financial Burdens

Background The increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has imposed heavy financial burdens for Chinese patients; however, data about their financial status and access to health care are still lacking. This information is important for informing patients with IBD about disease treatment budgets and health care strategies. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the economic status and medical care access of patients with IBD through the China Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation web-based platform in China. Methods Our study was performed in 14 IBD centers in mainland China between 2018 and 2019 through WeChat. Participants were asked to complete a 64-item web-based questionnaire. Data were collected by the Wenjuanxing survey program. We mainly focused on income and insurance status, medical costs, and access to health care providers. Respondents were stratified by income and the associations of income with medical costs and emergency visit times were analyzed. Results In this study, 3000 patients with IBD, that is, 1922 patients with Crohn disease, 973 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 105 patients with undetermined colitis were included. During the last 12 months, the mean (SD) direct and indirect costs for per patient with IBD were approximately US $11,668.68 ($7944.44) and US $74.90 ($253.60) in China. The average reimbursement ratios for most outpatient and inpatient costs were less than 50%. However, the income of 85.5% (2565/3000) of the patients was less than ¥10,000 (US $1445) per month. Approximately 96.5% (2894/3000) of the patients were covered by health insurance, but only 24.7% (741/3000) of the patients had private commercial insurance, which has higher imbursement ratios. Nearly 98.0% (2954/3000) of the patients worried about their financial situation. Thus, 79.7% (2392/3000) of the patients with IBD tried to save money for health care and even delayed their medical treatments. About half of the respondents (1282/3000, 42.7%) had no primary care provider, and 52.2% (1567/3000) of the patients had to visit the emergency room 1-4 times per year for the treatment of their IBD. Multivariate analysis revealed that lower income (P=.001) and higher transportation (P=.004) and accommodation costs (P=.001) were significantly associated with the increased number of emergency visits of the patients. Conclusions Chinese patients with IBD have enormous financial burdens and difficulties in accessing health care, which have increased their financial anxiety and inevitably influenced their disease outcomes. Early purchase of private insurance, thereby increasing the reimbursement ratio for medical expenses, and developing the use of telemedicine would be effective strategies for saving on health care costs.

Health and Health Care Among Transgender Adults in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayden I. Scheim ◽  
Kellan E. Baker ◽  
Arjee J. Restar ◽  
Randall L. Sell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
The Usa

Transgender (trans) communities in the USA and globally have long organized for health and social equity but have only recently gained increased visibility within public health. In this review, we synthesize evidence demonstrating that trans adults in the USA are affected by disparities in physical and mental health and in access to health care, relative to cisgender (nontrans) persons. We draw on theory and data to situate these disparities in their social contexts, explicating the roles of gender affirmation, multilevel and intersectional stigmas, and public policies in reproducing or ameliorating trans health disparities. Until recently, trans health disparities were largely made invisible by exclusionary data collection practices. We highlight the importance of, and methodological considerations for, collecting inclusive sex and gender data. Moving forward, we recommend routine collection of gender identity data, an emphasis on intervention research to achieve trans health equity, public policy advocacy, and investment in supporting gender-diverse public health leadership. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 43 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Spatial Aspects of Epidemiological Phenomena and of the Provision and Utilization of Health Care Services in Australia: A Review of Methodological Problems and Empirical Analyses

1980 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 881-907 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Stimson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Medical Geography ◽  
Health Care Resources ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Methodological Problems ◽  
Use Of Health Care

This paper reviews data source problems faced by researchers in Australia in investigating a variety of aspects of medical geography. It describes the nature of health care services organization in Australia, and reports on the recent contributions geographers have made to investigating the spatial characteristics of epidemiological phenomena, questions of equity in the provision of and access to health care services, and behavioural analyses of consumer use of health care resources.

scholarly journals Point-of-care CD4 technology invalid result rates in public health care settings across five countries

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. e0219021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Lamp ◽  
Seth McGovern ◽  
Youyi Fong ◽  
Biruhtesfa Abere ◽  
Adisu Kebede ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Health Care Settings

scholarly journals Data mining and visualization for decision support and modeling of public health-care resources

2007 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 438-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nada Lavrač ◽  
Marko Bohanec ◽  
Aleksander Pur ◽  
Bojan Cestnik ◽  
Marko Debeljak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data Mining ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Health Care Resources

Allocation of Health Care Resources at the Point of Care

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Lind Crowe
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Health Care Resources
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document