Strengthening public health services to achieve universal health coverage in China.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Yuan B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6598722 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Strengthening public health services to achieve universal health coverage in China.
Yuan Beibei B Balabanova Dina D Gao Jun J Tang Shenglan S Guo Yan Y
BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 20190621
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Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC6598720 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionExisting scoping reviews on the link between primary healthcare (PHC) and universal health coverage (UHC) have not sufficiently addressed the underlying causal mechanisms in which key strategic and operational PHC levers contribute to improved health system and realisation of UHC. This realist review aims to examine how key PHC levers work (independently and holistically) to achieve an improved health system and UHC, and the conditions and caveats that influence the outcome.Methods and analysisWe will employ a four-step realist evaluation approach: (1) define the review scope and develop initial programme theory, (2) database search, (3) data extraction and appraisal, (4) synthesis of evidence. Electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar) and grey literature will be searched to identify initial programme theories underlying the key strategic and operational levers of PHC and empirical evidence to test these matrices of programme theories. Evidence from each document will be abstracted, appraised and synthesised through a process of reasoning using a realistic logic of analysis (ie, theoretical, or conceptual frameworks). The extracted data will then be analysed using a realist context-mechanism-outcome configuration, including what caused an outcome, through which mechanism, and under which context.Ethics and disseminationGiven the studies are scoping reviews of published articles, ethics approval is not required. Key dissemination strategies will include academic papers, policy briefs and conference presentations. By capturing the relationship between sociopolitical, cultural and economic contexts and the pathways in which PHC levers interact with each other and the broader health system, findings from this review will facilitate the design and development of evidence-based, context-sensitive strategies that will enhance effective and sustainable PHC implementation strategies.
| S-EPMC10083732 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the challenges of community health nurses (CHNs) in delivering effective community health care to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) in Myanmar.MethodsA total of 30 CHNs from township health centers in the northeastern, southern, and western parts of Myanmar were purposefully recruited for quantitative and qualitative interviews. Quantitative data were processed using Microsoft Excel software, and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. This study is registered with researchregistry6201.ResultsAround the country, 30 CHNs uncovered their hardships in implementing primary health care to achieve UHC. Over 90% of the participants agreed to the problem of inadequate health infrastructure, while half of them felt unmotivated when they encountered role conflicts among various cadres of healthcare providers and poor opportunities for career promotion. Major problems arose from the lack of standard professional education at the entry point to community settings because most CHNs did not achieve specialized training in providing public health services. Complications are incapable of evaluating health services for policy-making and the inability to conduct health research to develop evidence-based practices. Insecure work and living conditions, unsupportive community relationships, and undereducation in professional practices were supportive major themes explored by CHNs to achieve a deeper understanding of the barriers to UHC. Not only the health system itself but also the population and other geographical factors have contributed to many challenges to CHNs.ConclusionMyanmar's CHNs face many challenges in achieving UHC. These challenges are not confined to the health sector. Some situations, such as geographical barriers and transportation problems, remain persistent challenges for healthcare providers. This study highlights the fact that current health systems should be strengthened by qualified healthcare providers and sufficient infrastructure. Meanwhile, public empowerment plays a critical role in promoting health development.
| S-EPMC8283707 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis paper aims to develop a Chinese version of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) indices and to measure China's progress towards UHC.MethodsNineteen indicators were selected based on expert consultations to construct indices of accessibility and affordability to measure UHC. Data were drawn from health statistics yearbooks, nationally representative surveys, and health system reform surveillance. The index of accessibility includes absolute accessibility (to essential health services), relative accessibility (to hospital care) and people's subjective perceptions. The index of affordability includes absolute affordability (the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure, CHE), relative affordability (the composition of health expenditure), and people's subjective perceptions.ResultsThe indices of accessibility and affordability both showed steady increases over the 17 years considered. Absolute accessibility had the most significant improvement (from 23.6 in 2002 to 73.8 in 2018), while the index of relative accessibility decreased from 81.4 in 2002 to 67.3 in 2018. The index of absolute affordability decreased significantly from 46.6 in 2002 to 30.5 in 2010 and then exhibited an increasing trend afterwards, reaching 52.1 in 2018. The index of relative affordability continuously increased during the observation period, from 35.3 to 75.4.ConclusionsChina has made great progress in increasing the accessibility and affordability of health services since the health system reforms in 2009. However, integrating primary health care and hospital care and containing escalating medical expenditure to further reduce patients' financial burdens are key challenges for strengthening the Chinese health system.
| S-EPMC8088770 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC4170954 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCommunity engagement (CE) is an essential component in a primary health care (PHC) and there have been growing calls for service providers to seek greater CE in the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of PHC services. This scoping review aimed to explore the underlying attributes, contexts and mechanisms in which community engagement initiatives contribute to improved PHC service delivery and the realisation of UHC.MethodsPubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Google Scholar were searched from the inception of each database until May 2022 for studies that described the structure, process, and outcomes of CE interventions implemented in PHC settings. We included qualitative and quantitative studies, process evaluations and systematic or scoping reviews. Data were extracted using a predefined extraction sheet, and the quality of reporting of included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The Donabedian's model for quality of healthcare was used to categorise attributes of CE into "structure", "process" and "outcome".ResultsThemes related to the structural aspects of CE initiatives included the methodological approaches (i.e., format and composition), levels of CE (i.e., extent, time, and timing of engagement) and the support processes and strategies (i.e., skills and capacity) that are put in place to enable both communities and service providers to undertake successful CE. Process aspects of CE initiatives discussed in the literature included: i) the role of the community in defining priorities and setting objectives for CE, ii) types and dynamics of the broad range of engagement approaches and activities, and iii) presence of an on-going communication and two-way information sharing. Key CE components and contextual factors that affected the impact of CE initiatives included the wider socio-economic context, power dynamics and representation of communities and their voices, and cultural and organisational issues.ConclusionsOur review highlighted the potential role of CE initiatives in improving decision making process and improving overall health outcomes, and identified several organisational, cultural, political, and contextual factors that affect the success of CE initiatives in PHC settings. Awareness of and responding to the contextual factors will increase the chances of successful CE initiatives.
| S-EPMC10156058 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is the dominant paradigm in health systems research, positing that everyone should have access to a range of affordable health services. Although private providers are an integral part of world health systems, their contribution to achieving UHC is unclear, particularly in low-income countries (LICs). We scoped the literature to map out the evidence on private providers' contribution to UHC progress in LICs. Literature searches of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were conducted in 2022. A total of 1049 documents published between 2002 and 2022 were screened for eligibility using predefined inclusion criteria, focusing on formal as well as informal private health sectors in 27 LICs. Primary qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods evidence was included, as well as original analysis of secondary data. The Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of the studies. Relevant evidence was extracted and analysed using an adapted UHC framework. We identified 34 papers documenting how most basic health care services are already provided through the private sector in countries such as Uganda, Afghanistan and Somalia. A substantial proportion of primary care, mother, child and malaria services are available through non-public providers across all 27 LICs. Evidence exists that while formal private providers mostly operate in well-served urban settings, informal and not-for-profit ones cater for underserved rural and urban areas. Nonetheless, there is evidence that the quality of the services by informal providers is suboptimal. A few studies suggested that the private sector fails to advance financial protection against ill-health, as costs are higher than in public facilities and services are paid out of pocket. We conclude that despite their shortcomings, working with informal private providers to increase quality and financing of their services may be key to realizing UHC in LICs.
| S-EPMC10566321 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In 2014 the Kingdom of Lesotho, in conjunction with Partners In Health, launched a National Health Reform with three components: 1) improved supply-side inputs based on disease burden in the catchment area of each of 70 public primary care clinics, 2) decentralization of health managerial capacity to the district level, and 3) demand-side interventions including paid village health workers. We assessed changes in the quarterly average of quality metrics from pre-National Health Reform in 2013 to 2017, which included number of women attending their first antenatal care visit, number of post-natal care visits attended, number of children fully immunized at one year of age, number of HIV tests performed, number of HIV infection cases diagnosed, and the availability of essential health commodities. The number of health centers adequately equipped to provide a facility-based delivery increased from 3% to 95% with an associated increase in facility-based deliveries from 2% to 33%. The number of women attending their first antenatal and postnatal care visits rose from 1,877 to 2,729, and 1,908 to 2,241, respectively. The number of children fully immunized at one year of life increased from 191 to 294. The number of HIV tests performed increased from 5,163 to 12,210, with the proportion of patients living with HIV lost to follow-up falling from 27% to 22%. By the end of the observation period, the availability of essential health commodities increased to 90% or above. Four years after implementation of the National Health Reform, we observed increases in antenatal and post-natal care, and facility-based deliveries, as well as child immunization, and HIV testing and retention in care. Improved access to and utilization of primary care services are important steps toward improving health outcomes, but additional longitudinal follow-up of the reform districts will be needed.
| S-EPMC10021396 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMaternal and neonatal mortality in Uganda remain persistently high. While utilisation of maternal health services has been shown to reduce the risk of maternal death, little is known about the inequalities in utilisation of maternal health services in Uganda. This study examined the inequalities in utilisation of maternal health services between 2006 and 2016 to draw implications for achieving universal health coverage.MethodsWe used the Uganda Demographic Health Survey 2006, 2011 and 2016 to analyse inequalities in utilisation of antenatal care (ANC4+), skilled birth attendance (SBA), postnatal care (PNC) and a package of maternal health services. Equity ratios, concentration curves, concentration indices and regression analysis were used in the estimations.ResultsInequalities in utilization of single and a package of maternal health services reduced between 2005 and 2016, but remained pro-rich. Inequalities in utilisation of package of maternal health services were greater than for a single service. Women from the richest quintile were 4 times more likely to receive a package of care compared to the poorest women, but were just 1.5 times more likely to receive ANC4 + than those in the poorest quintile. In 2006 women in urban areas were 2.6 times more likely to receive a package of all three maternal health services than their rural counterpart and they had a relative advantage of 23.4% to utilize skilled birth delivery than the poorest women. Each additional year of schooling and living in urban areas was associated with 1.2 and 1.6% point increase in utilisation of a package of care respectively. Wealth, education and living in urban areas were positively associated with utilisation of all maternal healthcare.ConclusionDeclining inequalities in utilisation of maternal healthcare reflect a move towards achieving universal health coverage in Uganda. Pro-rich, education and urban-biased inequalities, imply the need for targeted interventions for the poor, less educated and rural women. Targeted voucher schemes, free distribution of birth kits for poorer and rural women, community-level mobilization to improve uptake of postnatal care, and promoting women's education and incomes are feasible interventions to improve utilisation of maternal health services and equity.
| S-EPMC10369811 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionUniversal health coverage (UHC) includes the dimensions of equity in access, quality services that improve health and protection against financial hardship. Cataract continues to be the leading cause of blindness globally, despite cataract surgery being an efficacious intervention. The aim of this scoping review is to map the nature, extent and global distribution of data on cataract services for UHC in terms of equity, access, quality and financial protection.Methods and analysisThe search will be constructed by an Information Specialist and undertaken in MEDLINE, Embase and Global Health databases. We will include all published non-interventional primary research studies and systematic reviews that report a quantitative assessment of access, equity, quality or financial protection of cataract surgical services for adults at the subnational, national, regional or global level from population-based surveys or routinely collected health service data since 1 January 2000 and published through to February 2020.Screening and data charting will be undertaken using Covidence systematic review software. Titles and abstracts of identified studies will be screened by two authors independently. Full-text articles of potentially relevant studies will be obtained and reviewed independently by two authors against the inclusion criteria. Any discrepancies between the authors will be resolved by discussion, and with a third author as necessary. A data charting form will be developed and piloted on three studies by three authors and amendments made as necessary. Data will be extracted by two reviewers independently and summarised narratively and using maps.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was not sought as the scoping review will only use published and publicly accessible data. The review will be published in an open access peer-reviewed journal. A summary of the results will be developed for website posting, stakeholder meetings and inclusion in the ongoing Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health.
| S-EPMC7348466 | biostudies-literature