Exploring the Relationship between ICTs and Public Health at Country Level

Author(s):  
Viju Raghupathi ◽  
Wullianallur Raghupathi

The authors use a health analytics approach to investigate the relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) and public health at a country level. The research uses the ICT factors of accessibility, usage, quality, affordability, trade, and applications, as well as the public delivery indicators of adolescent fertility rate, child immunization for DPT, child immunization for measles, tuberculosis detection rate, life expectancy, adult female mortality rate, and adult male mortality rate. ICT data was collected from the International Telecommunication Union ICT Indicator database. The public health data was collected from the World Bank website. Results of the analytics indicate that ICT factors are positively associated with some public health indicators. Nearly all of the ICT factors are positively associated with the public health indicators of immunization rates, TB detection rates, and life expectancy. The association with adult mortality is negative, which is also favorable. However, the association of ICT with fertility rate is negative, which is an unfavorable effect. These results offer insight into the importance of understanding the positive and adverse impacts of ICT on public health so as to guide national policy decisions in the future.

2019 ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
E. A. Galova

Purpose of the study: to reveal characteristics of chronic viral hepatitis C (HCV) incidence in babies and preschoolers, schoolchildren, teenagers on the example of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Materials and methods. The article presents official epidemiological information on the incidence of HCV in children in the Nizhny Novgorod region in 1995–2015. Data statistical processing was performed with Statistica 7.0. soft ware package. Zero hypotheses were rejected at significance level of the corresponding statistical criterion p < 0,05. Results. The study revealed differences of HCV-epidemic process in infants and preschoolers, schoolchildren and teenagers. The incidence of HCV in children 0–6 years old and 15–17 years old is characterized by a lack of reduction and an uncertain prognosis (p < 0,05); the positive prognosis is possible in schoolchildren aged 7–14 years (p < 0,05). There was an increase of patients of younger age groups in the proportion, and decrease of cases frequency in children 7–14-year-olds. The authors identified that the viral hepatitis C incidence is correlate with the public health indicators and with the health care institutions activities; the correlations strength and correlations pattern is depend on age. The article presents a quantitative assessment of the relationship between the children HCV incidence in different age periods and the public health indicators and activities health institutions. Conclusions. In HCV-epidemic process in children at the present there is a redistribution of older and younger age groups role in its maintenance with the leading significance of the latter. Obtained results prove the significant contribution of HCV positive women of fertile age in the HCV- epidemic process in children at the present stage.


Author(s):  
Omar S. Aldibasi ◽  
Naif K. Alharbi ◽  
Mohamed Alkelya ◽  
Hosam Zowawi ◽  
Suliman Alghnam

Abstract Background: Coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global pandemic. Without a vaccine or an effective treatment in the near horizon, only public health measures have been effective in potentially reducing its impact. Due to the wide disparity in current response from individual countries, studying factors associated with public health measures may inform ongoing efforts. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the contributing factors across the globe with specific measures of the disease. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that used publicly available data of COVID-19 cases as of April 6, 2020. We analyzed country public information on demographic and socioeconomic indicators published in different sources. The association between country-level variables and the incidence rate, the recovery rate, severity of the cases, and mortality rate were evaluated using regression techniques. Results: Multiple factors were found to be significantly associated with COVID-19 outcomes. The number of tests per million, GDP per capita, a country population size of 2020, country median age, and life expectancy are associated with the incidence rate of COVID19. The yearly net change population, migrants, and tourism are associated with the recovery rate of COVID-19. The number of tests per million and male life expectancy are associated with the critical cases rate of COVID-19. Finally, the GDP per capita, land area (Km2), life expectancy, and tourism are associated with the mortality rate of COVID-19. Conclusion: Overall, higher GDP per capita, median age, and a higher number of lab tests were found to be associated with more incidents of COVID-19 cases, which indicates a better and maintained system for detection, reporting, and management of the pandemic. This study suggests that investing in better screening and testing may reveal more cases that can be managed and controlled; while limiting travelers would further support the pandemic control.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (78) ◽  
pp. 297-299
Author(s):  
Robert Ladouceur ◽  
Howard Shaffer ◽  
Paige Shaffer ◽  
Lucie Baillargeon

As people around the world experience a devastating pandemic, it is critical that policy-makers consider the methodological and measurement issues that might be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health indicators. This commentary uses four primary variables to illustrate measurement and methodological issues that can complicate comparisons between jurisdictions. Jurisdiction refers to a variety of geographic areas, such as a country, a state, or a province/territory. These variables play a critical role in determining how we understand the trajectory of disease spread. These variables also contribute to our understanding of prevention strategies and their associated efficacy, reflecting the impact of COVID-19 on hospitals. It is critical for public health stakeholders and the public to recognize that these four simple variables can vary substantially across jurisdictions.


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-27
Author(s):  
Kashif Raza ◽  
Salman Majeed ◽  
Salman Majeed ◽  
Maryam Islam

This study aims at investigating the issues of health sector in Pakistan and highlights the important link between health indicators and economic growth. For this purpose, Ordinary least square method and Granger Causality technique are applied on time series data of Pakistan from 1980-2012. Health expenditures, fertility rate, life expectancy, and infant mortality rate have been used as health indicators. The basic objective of study is to enhance those issues in health sectors that directly or indirectly strike on economic growth of Pakistan so that effective policies can be chalked out to cop current as well future condition regarding health and an economic growth. The results showed that life expectancy, fertility rate, investment on health sectors has significantly influenced the per capita GDP. Health expenditures have also positive but insignificant impact on economic growth. Whereas there is negative relationship of infant mortality rate, population per bed on economic growth. The major policy implication of this study is that by increasing the health facilities through increase the investment on health sector that will improve the sustainable level of economic growth.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Kok Wooi Yap ◽  
Doris Padmini Selvaratnam

This study aims to investigate the determinants of public health expenditure in Malaysia. An Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach proposed by Pesaran & Shin (1999) and Pesaran et al. (2001) is applied to analyse annual time series data during the period from 1970 to 2017. The study focused on four explanatory variables, namely per capita gross domestic product (GDP), healthcare price index, population aged 65 years and above, as well as infant mortality rate. The bounds test results showed that the public health expenditure and its determinants are cointegrated. The empirical results revealed that the elasticity of government health expenditure with respect to national income is less than unity, indicating that public health expenditure in Malaysia is a necessity good and thus the Wagner’s law does not exist to explain the relationship between public health expenditure and economic growth in Malaysia. In the long run, per capita GDP, healthcare price index, population aged more than 65 years, and infant mortality rate are the important variables in explaining the behaviour of public health expenditure in Malaysia. The empirical results also prove that infant mortality rate is significant in influencing public health spending in the short run. It is noted that macroeconomic and health status factors assume an important role in determining the public health expenditure in Malaysia and thus government policies and strategies should be made by taking into account of these aspects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 698-720
Author(s):  
E.V. Lobkova ◽  
A.S. Petrichenko

Subject. This article studies the mechanism of State health regulation and methods of management of efficiency of regional healthcare institutions. Objectives. The article aims to analyze the territorial health system in the context of the urgent need to optimize budget expenditures and address public health problems, as well as develop directions to improve the effectiveness of the regional health system of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. Methods. For the study, we used the method of index numbers and calculation of dynamics indicators using official statistics data. Results. We have developed and now present a system of indicators of regional health efficiency assessment, focused mainly on public health indicators and quality of medical services. We also offer our own version of the Luenberger observer modification adapted to the objectives of the regional health system analysis. Conclusions and Relevance. The article concludes that it is necessary to optimize the regional health system using the parameters of medical and social efficiency of the system. The proposed approach to assessing the effectiveness of regional health system can be used as a mechanism to develop recommendations for the management of the network of medical and prophylactic institutions of the region.


Author(s):  
Aryo Wibisono ◽  
R. Amilia Destryana

This study aims to determine the index of public satisfaction in public health center services in Sumenep Regency and the relationship between the services to the public satisfaction. The analysis measured the index of public satisfaction and logistic regression methods to determine the effect of the relationship on total satisfaction in the health services of Public Health Center. The results of the study are the alignment between interests and patient satisfaction is still not aligned, there are still differences between interests and satisfaction, the pattern of the result is the relationship between the assurance dimension to the service satisfaction of the public health center, and the results of the index of public satisfaction  values show that the results of the community assess the public health center performance is very good by getting an A grade. Keywords: public service, logistic regretion, index of public satisfaction


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandr Farseev ◽  
Yu-Yi Chu-Farseeva ◽  
Yang Qi ◽  
Daron Benjamin Loo

UNSTRUCTURED The rapid spread of the Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) had drastically impacted life all over the world. While some economies are actively recovering from this pestilence, others are experiencing fast and consistent disease spread, compelling governments to impose social distancing measures that have put a halt on routines, especially in densely-populated areas. Aiming at bringing more light on key economic and public health factors affecting the disease spread, this initial study utilizes a quantitative statistical analysis based on the most recent publicly-available COVID-19 datasets. The study had shown and explained multiple significant relationships between the COVID-19 data and other country-level statistics. We have also identified and statistically profiled four major country-level clusters with relation to different aspects of COVID-19 development and country-level economic and health indicators. Specifically, this study has identified potential COVID-19 under-reporting traits as well as various economic factors that impact COVID-19 Diagnosis, Reporting, and Treatment. Based on the country clusters, we have also described the four disease development scenarios, which are tightly knit to country-level economic and public health factors. Finally, we have highlighted the potential limitation of reporting and measuring COVID-19 and provided recommendations on further in-depth quantitative research.


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