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Eze P, Ilechukwu S, Lawani LO. Impact of community-based health insurance in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287600. [PMID: 37368882 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To systematically evaluate the empirical evidence on the impact of community-based health insurance (CBHI) on healthcare utilization and financial risk protection in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). METHODS We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, CNKI, PsycINFO, Scopus, WHO Global Index Medicus, and Web of Science including grey literature, Google Scholar®, and citation tracking for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs, and quasi-experimental studies that evaluated the impact of CBHI schemes on healthcare utilization and financial risk protection in LMICs. We assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane's Risk of Bias 2.0 and Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tools for RCTs and quasi/non-RCTs, respectively. We also performed a narrative synthesis of all included studies and meta-analyses of comparable studies using random-effects models. We pre-registered our study protocol on PROSPERO: CRD42022362796. RESULTS We identified 61 articles: 49 peer-reviewed publications, 10 working papers, 1 preprint, and 1 graduate dissertation covering a total of 221,568 households (1,012,542 persons) across 20 LMICs. Overall, CBHI schemes in LMICs substantially improved healthcare utilization, especially outpatient services, and improved financial risk protection in 24 out of 43 studies. Pooled estimates showed that insured households had higher odds of healthcare utilization (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.04-2.47), use of outpatient health services (AOR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.22-2.05), and health facility delivery (AOR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.61-3.02), but insignificant increase in inpatient hospitalization (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 0.74-3.14). The insured households had lower out-of-pocket health expenditure (AOR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.92-0.97), lower incidence of catastrophic health expenditure at 10% total household expenditure (AOR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.54-0.88), and 40% non-food expenditure (AOR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.54-0.96). The main limitations of our study are the limited data available for meta-analyses and high heterogeneity persisted in subgroup and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that CBHI generally improves healthcare utilization but inconsistently delivers financial protection from health expenditure shocks. With pragmatic context-specific policies and operational modifications, CBHI could be a promising mechanism for achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Eze
- Department of Health Policy and Administration, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Stanley Ilechukwu
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Health Projects, South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO), Independence Layout, Enugu, Nigeria
| | - Lucky Osaheni Lawani
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Bashi J, Sia D, Tchouaket E, Balegamire SJ, Karemere H. Mutuelles de santé à Bukavu en République Démocratique du Congo: facteurs favorables à l’utilisation des services de santé par des adhérents. Pan Afr Med J 2020; 35:100. [PMID: 32636998 PMCID: PMC7320771 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2020.35.100.20441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction La présente étude s'intéresse aux déterminants de l'utilisation des services de santé par des adhérents aux trois mutuelles de santé dans la ville de Bukavu en République Démocratique du Congo. Méthodes L'étude, de type descriptif transversal, est une enquête de perception menée auprès des utilisateurs des services de santé affiliés aux mutuelles de santé dans les zones de santé de Bukavu. L'encodage et l'analyse statistique ont été réalisés avec le logiciel Epi Info version 2010. Résultats Les principaux déterminants de l'utilisation des services de santé par des adhérents aux mutuelles de santé sont: le lieu de résidence de l'adhérent, le niveau d'instruction du responsable du ménage, l'expérience antérieure des soins dans la structure sanitaire partenaire de la mutuelle de santé, la réputation de la structure partenaire des mutuelles de santé et la capacité des ménages à payer le ticket modérateur. Conclusion La présente étude révèle, qu'au-delà de la barrière financière, le développement d'une mutuelle de santé devrait permettre de promouvoir une meilleure régulation du ticket modérateur et une bonne qualité des soins pour satisfaire les besoins en soins de ses adhérents. Les facteurs qui ressortent de l'étude en tant que principaux déterminants de l'utilisation des services de santé des adhérents à une mutuelle de santé ne sont pas souvent pris en compte lors de l'implantation des mutuelles de santé dans des contextes similaires à ceux de Bukavu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Bashi
- Bureau Diocésain des Œuvres Médicales de Bukavu, Bukavu, République Démocratique du Congo
| | - Drissa Sia
- Département des Sciences Infirmières, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Saint-Jerôme, Canada
| | - Eric Tchouaket
- Département des Sciences Infirmières, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Saint-Jerôme, Canada
| | | | - Hermès Karemere
- Faculté de Médecine, Ecole Régionale de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bukavu, République Démocratique du Congo
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Duku SKO. Differences in the determinants of health insurance enrolment among working-age adults in two regions in Ghana. BMC Health Serv Res 2018; 18:384. [PMID: 29843699 PMCID: PMC5975433 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-018-3192-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has achieved varying levels of enrolment within the regions with different rural-urban populations with associated income inequalities. This study sought to investigate the differences in the determinants of enrolment between the Greater Accra (GAR) and Western (WR) regions of Ghana to inform the NHIS reforms. Method Data from 4214 adults, 18 years and above from a household survey conducted in the two regions was analyzed. Bivariate analysis (t-test for continuous and Pearson chi-square for categorical) was performed to examine differences in respondents characteristics (socio-economic and insurance enrolment) between the two regions for the total, urban and rural samples. Logistic regression estimation was performed to establish differences in determinant of enrolment between the regions. Results Age, sex, educational level, marital status, health status and travel time to nearest health facility were identified as determinants of enrolment in both regions and among the rural and urban residents within the regions. Although the rich and richest in both regions are more likely to enroll than the poor and poorest, the odds of enrolment for the urban richest in the WR is about twice that of GAR whiles the odds of enrolment for the rural richest in the GAR is also about twice that of the WR. Those who visit public facilities in the GAR are more likely to enroll than those in WR for the total and urban samples. However, those who visit private facilities in rural communities in both regions are more likely to enroll. Conclusion Differences in the NHIS enrolment between the regions is as a result of differences in socio-economic factors that are intrinsic in the regions and impact on the inhabitants’ ability to afford insurance premium. Policymakers should determine NHIS premium differently at the district level based on socio-economic activities and income levels within the districts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Kwasi Opoku Duku
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 581 Legon, Accra, Ghana. .,Amsterdam Institute for Global health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Brals D, Aderibigbe SA, Wit FW, van Ophem JCM, van der List M, Osagbemi GK, Hendriks ME, Akande TM, Boele van Hensbroek M, Schultsz C. The effect of health insurance and health facility-upgrades on hospital deliveries in rural Nigeria: a controlled interrupted time-series study. Health Policy Plan 2018; 32:990-1001. [PMID: 28402420 PMCID: PMC5886299 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czx034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Access to quality obstetric care is considered essential to reducing maternal and new-born mortality. We evaluated the effect of the introduction of a multifaceted voluntary health insurance programme on hospital deliveries in rural Nigeria. Methods: We used an interrupted time-series design, including a control group. The intervention consisted of providing voluntary health insurance covering primary and secondary healthcare, including antenatal and obstetric care, combined with improving the quality of healthcare facilities. We compared changes in hospital deliveries from 1 May 2005 to 30 April 2013 between the programme area and control area in a difference-in-differences analysis with multiple time periods, adjusting for observed confounders. Data were collected through household surveys. Eligible households (n = 1500) were selected from a stratified probability sample of enumeration areas. All deliveries during the 4-year baseline period (n = 460) and 4-year follow-up period (n = 380) were included. Findings: Insurance coverage increased from 0% before the insurance was introduced to 70.2% in April 2013 in the programme area. In the control area insurance coverage remained 0% between May 2005 and April 2013. Although hospital deliveries followed a common stable trend over the 4 pre-programme years (P = 0.89), the increase in hospital deliveries during the 4-year follow-up period in the programme area was 29.3 percentage points (95% CI: 16.1 to 42.6; P < 0.001) greater than the change in the control area (intention-to-treat impact), corresponding to a relative increase in hospital deliveries of 62%. Women who did not enroll in health insurance but who could make use of the upgraded care delivered significantly more often in a hospital during the follow-up period than women living in the control area (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Voluntary health insurance combined with quality healthcare services is highly effective in increasing hospital deliveries in rural Nigeria, by improving access to healthcare for insured and uninsured women in the programme area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniëlla Brals
- Academic Medical Center, Department of Global Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sunday A Aderibigbe
- Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Ferdinand W Wit
- Academic Medical Center, Department of Global Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes C M van Ophem
- Faculty of Economics and Business, Section Quantitative Economics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marijn van der List
- Department of Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for International Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gordon K Osagbemi
- Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Marleen E Hendriks
- Academic Medical Center, Department of Global Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tanimola M Akande
- Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Michael Boele van Hensbroek
- Academic Medical Center, Department of Global Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Academic Medical Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Paediatrics, Global Child Health Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Constance Schultsz
- Academic Medical Center, Department of Global Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Likka MH, Handalo DM, Weldsilase YA, Sinkie SO. The effect of community-based health insurance schemes on utilization of healthcare services in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol of quantitative evidence. JBI DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND IMPLEMENTATION REPORTS 2018; 16:653-661. [PMID: 29521866 DOI: 10.11124/jbisrir-2017-003381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic review is to identify, appraise and synthesize evidence to establish the effectiveness of community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes in enhancing the utilization of healthcare services among their members in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).Specifically, the review objective is to determine if individuals or households enrolled in CBHI schemes in LMICs utilize healthcare services (outpatient visits, hospital admissions, emergency visits, maternal and child healthcare services, or any other services involving the schemes) more frequently than those not included in CBHI schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melaku Haile Likka
- Ethiopian Evidenced Based Healthcare and Development Centre: a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence
- Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan
| | - Dejene Melese Handalo
- Ethiopian Evidenced Based Healthcare and Development Centre: a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence
- Department of Health Economics, Management and Policy, Institute of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | | | - Shimeles Ololo Sinkie
- Department of Health Economics, Management and Policy, Institute of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
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Effect of the new maternity insurance scheme on medical expenditures for caesarean delivery in Wuxi, China: a retrospective pre/post-reform case study. Front Med 2016; 10:473-480. [PMID: 27896623 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-016-0479-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Aiming to control rising medical expenditures and help improve China's healthcare systems, this study examined whether a cap-based medical insurance scheme with shared financial interest between the insurance and healthcare providers is effective in containing hospitals' C-section medical expenditures. We used 6547 caesarean delivery case records from a teaching tertiary-level general public hospital located in Wuxi, China (2004-2013), and used the Chow test to investigate the possibility of significant variation in mean medical expenditures for caesarean deliveries pre- and post-reform. We also used paired sample t-tests and linear regression models to compare the mean medical expenditures between insured and uninsured women undergoing caesarean delivery during the post-reform period. After the scheme's implementation, medical expenditures for caesarean deliveries declined and the medical expenditures of women covered by the scheme were significantly lower than those of uninsured patients. These findings indicated the scheme's effectiveness in minimizing caesarean delivery expenditures. The cap-based medical insurance scheme with shared financial interest between insurance and healthcare providers would likely steer healthcare providers' behaviors in a more cost-effective direction.
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Nandi A, Holtzman EP, Malani A, Laxminarayan R. The need for better evidence to evaluate the health & economic benefits of India's Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. Indian J Med Res 2016; 142:383-90. [PMID: 26609029 PMCID: PMC4683822 DOI: 10.4103/0971-5916.169194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review the existing evidence on the impact of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) is discussed in the context of international literature available on health insurance. We describe potential pathways through which health insurance can affect health and economic outcomes, discuss evidence from other developing countries, and identify potential biases and inconsistencies in existing studies on RSBY impact. Given the relatively recent introduction of RSBY, lack of quality, verifiable data on utilization patterns, and the absence of reliable evaluation studies, there is a need to exercise caution while assessing the merits of the programme. Considering the enormous potential and cost of the programme, we emphasize the need for a rigorous impact evaluation of RSBY. It will not only help capture the real impact of the scheme, but may also be able to estimate the extent of systemic inefficiencies at the level of the consumer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Nandi
- The Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, Washington DC, USA; The Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India,
| | | | | | - Ramanan Laxminarayan
- The Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, Washington DC, USA; The Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India,
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You H, Gu H, Ning W, Zhou H, Dong H. Comparing Maternal Services Utilization and Expense Reimbursement before and after the Adjustment of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme Policy in Rural China. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158473. [PMID: 27388439 PMCID: PMC4936705 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) includes a maternal care benefits package that is associated with increasing maternal health services. The local compensation policies have been frequently adjusted in recent years. This study examined the association between the NCMS maternal-services policy adjustment and expense reimbursement in Yuyao, China. Methods Two household surveys were conducted in Yuyao in 2008 and 2011 (before and after the NCMS policy adjustment, respectively). Local women (N = 154) who had delivery history in the past three years were recruited. A questionnaire was used to collect information about delivery history, maternal health services utilization (prenatal care, postnatal care, and the grade of delivery institutions), NCMS participation, and reimbursement status. Logistic regression analyses were used to predict the association between policy adjustment and maternal health utilization and the association between policy adjustment and out-of-pocket proportion. Next, t-tests and covariance analyses adjusting for household income were used to compare the out-of-pocket proportion between 2008 and 2011. Results Results revealed that compensation policy adjustment was associated with an increase in postnatal visits (adjusted OR = 3.32, p = 0.009) and the use of second level or above institutions for delivery (adjusted OR = 2.32, p = 0.03) among participants. In 2008, only 9.1% of pregnant women received reimbursement from the NCMS; however, this rate increased to 36.8% in 2011. After policy adjustment, there were no significant changes in the proportion of out-of-pocket expenses shared in delivery fee (F = 0.24, p = 0.63) and in household income (F = 0.46, p = 0.50). Conclusions Financial compensation increase improved maternal health services utilization; however, this effect was limited. Although the reimbursement rate was raised, the out-of-pocket proportion was not significant changed; therefore, the compensation design scheme must be adjusted in practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua You
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Center for Health Management and Care Security Policy Research, School of Government, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hai Gu
- Center for Health Management and Care Security Policy Research, School of Government, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weiqing Ning
- Department of Women Health Care, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Department of Child Health Care, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hengjin Dong
- Center for Health Policy Studies, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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Desai S, Sinha T, Mahal A, Cousens S. Understanding CBHI hospitalisation patterns: a comparison of insured and uninsured women in Gujarat, India. BMC Health Serv Res 2014; 14:320. [PMID: 25064209 PMCID: PMC4114097 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-14-320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Community-based health insurance has been associated with increased hospitalisation in low-income settings, but with limited analysis of the illnesses for which claims are submitted. A review of claims submitted to VimoSEWA, an inpatient insurance scheme in Gujarat, India, found that fever, diarrhoea and hysterectomy, the latter at a mean age of 37 years, were the leading reasons for claims by adult women. We compared the morbidity, outpatient treatment-seeking and hospitalisation patterns of VimoSEWA-insured women with uninsured women. Methods We utilised data from a cross-sectional survey of 1,934 insured and uninsured women in Gujarat, India. Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of insurance coverage and the association of insurance with hospitalisation. Self-reported data on morbidity, outpatient care and hospitalisation were compared between insured and uninsured women. Results Age, marital status and occupation of adult women were associated with insurance status. Reported recent morbidity, type of illness and outpatient treatment were similar among insured and uninsured women. Multivariable analysis revealed strong evidence of a higher odds of hospitalisation amongst the insured (OR = 2.7; 95% ci. 1.6, 4.7). The leading reason for hospitalisation for uninsured and insured women was hysterectomy, at a similar mean age of 36, followed by common ailments such as fever and diarrhoea. Insured women appeared to have a higher probability of being hospitalised than uninsured women for all causes, rather than specifically for fever, diarrhoea or hysterectomy. Length of stay was similar while choice of hospital differed between insured and uninsured women. Conclusions Despite similar reported morbidity patterns and initial treatment-seeking behaviour, VimoSEWA members were more likely to be hospitalised. The data did not provide strong evidence that inpatient hospitalisation replaced outpatient treatment for common illnesses or that insurance was the primary inducement for hysterectomy in the population. Rather, it appears that VimoSEWA members behaved differently in deciding if, and where, to be hospitalised for any condition. Further research is required to explore this decision-making process and roles, if any, played by adverse selection and moral hazard. Lastly, these hospitalisation patterns raise concerns regarding population health needs and access to quality preventive and outpatient services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapna Desai
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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Sipsma H, Callands TA, Bradley E, Harris B, Johnson B, Hansen NB. Healthcare utilisation and empowerment among women in Liberia. J Epidemiol Community Health 2013; 67:953-9. [PMID: 23929617 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2013-202647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many efforts have been undertaken to improve access to healthcare services in low-income settings; nevertheless, underutilisation persists. Women's lack of empowerment may be a central reason for underutilisation, but empirical literature establishing this relationship is sparse. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the 2007 Liberia Demographic and Health Survey. Our sample included all non-pregnant women who were currently married or living with a partner (N=3925 unweighted). We used multivariate logistic regression to assess the associations between constructs derived from the Theory of Gender and Power (TGP) and healthcare utilisation. RESULTS Two-thirds of women (65.6%) had been to a healthcare facility for herself or her children in the past 12 months. Constructs from the three major theoretical structures were associated with healthcare utilisation. Women with no education, compared with women with some education, were less likely to have been to a healthcare facility (OR=0.76; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.93) as were women who had experienced sexual abuse (OR=0.65; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.95) and women who were married (OR=0.69, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.88). Women in higher wealth quintiles, compared with women in the next lower wealth quintile, and women with more decision-making power had greater odds of having been to a healthcare facility (OR=1.22; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.36 and OR=1.10; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20; respectively). CONCLUSIONS Strong associations exist between healthcare utilisation and empowerment among women in Liberia, and gender imbalances are prevalent. This fundamental issue likely needs to be addressed before large-scale improvement in health service utilisation can be expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Sipsma
- Department of Women, Children and Family Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, , Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Sinha T, Desai S, Mahal A. Hospitalized for fever? Understanding hospitalization for common illnesses among insured women in a low-income setting. Health Policy Plan 2013; 29:475-82. [PMID: 23749652 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czt032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health microinsurance is a financial tool that increases utilization of health care services among low-income persons. There is limited understanding of the illnesses for which insured persons are hospitalized. Analysis of health claims at VimoSEWA, an Indian microinsurance scheme, shows that a significant proportion of hospitalization among insured adult women is for common illnesses—fever, diarrhoea and malaria—that are amenable to outpatient treatment. This study aims to understand the factors that result in hospitalization for common illnesses. METHODS The article uses a mixed methods approach. Quantitative data were collected from a household survey of 816 urban low-income households in Gujarat, India. The qualitative data are based on 10 in-depth case studies of insured women hospitalized for common illnesses and interviews with five providers. Quantitative and qualitative data were supplemented with data from the insurance scheme’s administrative records. RESULTS Socioeconomic characteristics and morbidity patterns among insured and uninsured women were similar with fever the most commonly reported illness. While fever was the leading cause for hospitalization among insured women, no uninsured women were hospitalized for fever. Qualitative investigation indicates that 9 of 10 hospitalized women first sought outpatient treatment. Precipitating factors for hospitalization were either the persistence or worsening of symptoms. Factors that facilitated hospitalization included having insurance and the perceptions of doctors regarding the need for hospitalization. CONCLUSION In the absence of quality primary care, health insurance can lead to hospitalization for non-serious illnesses. Deterrents to hospitalization point away from member moral hazard; provider moral hazard cannot be ruled out. This study underscores the need for quality primary health care and its better integration with health microinsurance schemes.
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Haddad S, Ridde V, Yacoubou I, Mák G, Gbetié M. An evaluation of the outcomes of mutual health organizations in Benin. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47136. [PMID: 23077556 PMCID: PMC3471907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutual health organizations (MHO) have been seen as a promising alternative to the fee-based funding model but scientific foundations to support their generalization are still limited. Very little is known about the extent of the impact of MHOs on health-seeking behaviours, quality and costs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We present the results of an evaluation of the effects attributable to membership in an MHO in a rural region of Benin. Two prospective studies of users (parturients and hospitalized patients) were conducted on the territory of an inter-mutual consisting of 10 MHOs and as many healthcare centres (one, Ouessé, serving as a referral hospital) and one hospital (Papané). Members and non-members were matched (142 pairs of parturients and 109 triads of hospitalized patients) and multilevel multiple regression was used. Results show that member parturients went to healthcare centres sooner (p = 0.049) and were discharged more quickly after delivery (p = 0.001) than non-members. Length of stay in some cases was longer for hospitalized member parturients (+41%). Being a member did not shorten hospital stay, total length of episode of care, or time between appearance of symptoms and recourse to care. Regarding expenses, member parturients paid one-third less than non-members for a delivery. For hospitalized patients, the average savings for members was around $35 US. Total expenses incurred by patients hospitalized at Papané Hospital were higher than at Ouessé but the two hospitals' relative advantages were comparable at -36% and -39%, respectively. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE These results confirm mutual health organizations' capacity to protect households financially, even if benefits for the poor have not been clearly determined. The search for scientific evidence should continue, to understand their impacts with regard to services obtained by their members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slim Haddad
- Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital & Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Spaan E, Mathijssen J, Tromp N, McBain F, ten Have A, Baltussen R. The impact of health insurance in Africa and Asia: a systematic review. Bull World Health Organ 2012; 90:685-92. [PMID: 22984313 PMCID: PMC3442382 DOI: 10.2471/blt.12.102301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2012] [Revised: 05/16/2012] [Accepted: 05/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of health insurance on resource mobilization, financial protection, service utilization, quality of care, social inclusion and community empowerment in low- and lower-middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. METHODS A systematic search for randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental and observational studies published before the end of 2011 was conducted in 20 literature databases, reference lists of relevant studies, web sites and the grey literature. Study quality was assessed with a quality grading protocol. FINDINGS Inclusion criteria were met by 159 studies - 68 in Africa and 91 in Asia. Most African studies reported on community-based health insurance (CBHI) and were of relatively high quality; social health insurance (SHI) studies were mostly Asian and of medium quality. Only one Asian study dealt with private health insurance (PHI). Most studies were observational; four had randomized controls and 20 had a quasi-experimental design. Financial protection, utilization and social inclusion were far more common subjects than resource mobilization, quality of care or community empowerment. Strong evidence shows that CBHI and SHI improve service utilization and protect members financially by reducing their out-of-pocket expenditure, and that CBHI improves resource mobilization too. Weak evidence points to a positive effect of both SHI and CBHI on quality of care and social inclusion. The effect of SHI and CBHI on community empowerment is inconclusive. Findings for PHI are inconclusive in all domains because of insufficient studies. CONCLUSION Health insurance offers some protection against the detrimental effects of user fees and a promising avenue towards universal health-care coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernst Spaan
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500HB Nijmegen, Netherlands.
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Pembe AB, Carlstedt A, Urassa DP, Lindmark G, Nyström L, Darj E. Effectiveness of maternal referral system in a rural setting: a case study from Rufiji district, Tanzania. BMC Health Serv Res 2010; 10:326. [PMID: 21129178 PMCID: PMC3003655 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-10-326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2010] [Accepted: 12/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The functional referral system is important in backing-up antenatal, labour and delivery, and postnatal services in the primary level of care facilities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the maternal referral system through determining proportion of women reaching the hospitals after referral advice, appropriateness of the referral indications, reasons for non-compliance and to find out if compliance to referrals makes a difference in the perinatal outcome. Methods A follow-up study was conducted in Rufiji rural district in Tanzania. A total of 1538 women referred from 18 primary level of care facilities during a 13 months period were registered and then identified at hospitals. Those not reaching the hospitals were traced and interviewed. Results Out of 1538 women referred 70% were referred for demographic risks, 12% for obstetric historical risks, 12% for prenatal complications and 5.5% for natal and immediate postnatal complications. Five or more pregnancies as well as age <20 years were the most common referral indications. The compliance rate was 37% for women referred due to demographic risks and more than 50% among women referred in the other groups. Among women who did not comply with referral advice, almost half of them mentioned financial constraints as the major factor. Lack of compliance with the referral did not significantly increase the risk for a perinatal death. Conclusion Majority of the maternal referrals were due to demographic risks, where few women complied. To improve compliance to maternal referrals there is need to review the referral indications and strengthen counseling on birth preparedness and complication readiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea B Pembe
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
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Jehu-Appiah C, Aryeetey G, Spaan E, de Hoop T, Agyepong I, Baltussen R. Equity aspects of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana: Who is enrolling, who is not and why? Soc Sci Med 2010; 72:157-65. [PMID: 21145152 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2010] [Revised: 09/22/2010] [Accepted: 10/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
To improve equity in the provision of health care and provide risk protection to poor households, low-income countries are increasingly moving to social health insurance. Using data from a household survey of 3301 households conducted in 2009 this study aims to evaluate equity in enrollment in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana and assess determinants of demand across socio-economic groups. Specifically by looking at how different predisposing (age, gender, education, occupation, family size, marital status, peer pressure and health beliefs etc) enabling (income, place of residence) need (health status) and social factors (perceptions) affect household decision to enrol and remain in the NHIS. Equity in enrollment is assessed by comparing enrollment between consumption quintiles. Determinants of enrolling in and dropping out from NHIS are assessed using a multinomial logit model after using PCA to evaluate respondent's perceptions relating to schemes, providers and community health 'beliefs and attitudes'. We find evidence of inequity in enrollment in the NHIS and significant differences in determinants of current and previous enrollment across socio-economic quintiles. Both current and previous enrollment is influenced by predisposing, enabling and social factors. There are, however, clear differences in determinants of enrollment between the rich and the poor. Policy makers need to recognize that extending enrollment will require recognition of all these complex factors in their design of interventions to stimulate enrollment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Jehu-Appiah
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, The Netherlands.
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16
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Lee ACC, Lawn JE, Cousens S, Kumar V, Osrin D, Bhutta ZA, Wall SN, Nandakumar AK, Syed U, Darmstadt GL. Linking families and facilities for care at birth: what works to avert intrapartum-related deaths? Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2010; 107 Suppl 1:S65-85, S86-8. [PMID: 19815201 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delays in receiving effective care during labor and at birth may be fatal for the mother and fetus, contributing to 2 million annual intrapartum stillbirths and intrapartum-related neonatal deaths each year. OBJECTIVE We present a systematic review of strategies to link families and facilities, including community mobilization, financial incentives, emergency referral and transport systems, prenatal risk screening, and maternity waiting homes. RESULTS There is moderate quality evidence that community mobilization with high levels of community engagement can increase institutional births and significantly reduce perinatal and early neonatal mortality. Meta-analysis showed a doubling of skilled birth attendance and a 36% reduction in early neonatal mortality. However, no data are available on intrapartum-specific outcomes. Evidence is limited, but promising, that financial incentive schemes and community referral/transport systems may increase rates of skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care utilization; however, impact on mortality is unknown. Current evidence for maternity waiting homes and risk screening is low quality. CONCLUSIONS Empowering communities is an important strategy to reduce the large burden of intrapartum complications. Innovations are needed to bring the poor closer to obstetric care, such as financial incentives and cell phone technology. New questions need to be asked of "old" strategies such as risk screening and maternity waiting homes. The effect of all of these strategies on maternal and perinatal mortality, particularly intrapartum-related outcomes, requires further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne C C Lee
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Devadasan N, Criel B, Van Damme W, Manoharan S, Sarma PS, Van der Stuyft P. Community health insurance in Gudalur, India, increases access to hospital care. Health Policy Plan 2009; 25:145-54. [PMID: 19843637 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czp044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To reduce the burden of out-of-pocket payments on households in India, the government has introduced community health insurance (CHI) as part of its National Rural Health Mission. Indian CHI schemes have been shown to provide financial protection and have the potential to improve quality of care, but do not seem to improve access. This study examines this dimension of CHI performance and explores conditions under which a CHI scheme can improve access to hospital care for the poor. METHODS We conducted a panel survey at the ACCORD-AMS-ASHWINI (AAA) CHI scheme in India. The AAA CHI scheme protects the poorest sections of society against hospitalization expenses. 297 insured and 248 matched uninsured households were observed by village volunteers on a weekly basis for 12 months. Any patient presenting with a 'major ailment' in these households was interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Outcomes measured were utilization of hospital services, cost of treatment and quality of treatment received. RESULTS The two cohorts were similar regarding demographic, social and economic parameters. More insured than uninsured households expressed trust in the CHI scheme organizers. Both groups had similar levels of minor ailments, but the insured had higher incidence of chronic and major ailments. Insured patients had a hospital admission rate 2.2 times higher than uninsured patients, independent of confounding factors. This higher rate among the insured was also found in children and those with pre-existing conditions. Vulnerable sections of the insured population-children, pregnant women, the poorest-had the highest admission rates. Most admissions, in both cohorts, took place in the ASHWINI hospital. Credible and trustworthy organizers, effective providers, low co-payments, and low indirect costs contributed to this result. CONCLUSIONS A well-designed CHI scheme has the potential to improve access to hospital care, even for vulnerable sections of the community-the poorest, individuals with pre-existing conditions like diabetes and hypertension, and pregnant women.
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Bhutta ZA, Darmstadt GL, Haws RA, Yakoob MY, Lawn JE. Delivering interventions to reduce the global burden of stillbirths: improving service supply and community demand. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2009; 9 Suppl 1:S7. [PMID: 19426470 PMCID: PMC2679413 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2393-9-s1-s7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although a number of antenatal and intrapartum interventions have shown some evidence of impact on stillbirth incidence, much confusion surrounds ideal strategies for delivering these interventions within health systems, particularly in low-/middle-income countries where 98% of the world's stillbirths occur. Improving the uptake of quality antenatal and intrapartum care is critical for evidence-based interventions to generate an impact at the population level. This concluding paper of a series of papers reviewing the evidence for stillbirth interventions examines the evidence for community and health systems approaches to improve uptake and quality of antenatal and intrapartum care, and synthesises programme and policy recommendations for how best to deliver evidence-based interventions at community and facility levels, across the continuum of care, to reduce stillbirths. METHODS We systematically searched PubMed and the Cochrane Library for abstracts pertaining to community-based and health-systems strategies to increase uptake and quality of antenatal and intrapartum care services. We also sought abstracts which reported impact on stillbirths or perinatal mortality. Searches used multiple combinations of broad and specific search terms and prioritised rigorous randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses where available. Wherever eligible randomised controlled trials were identified after a Cochrane review had been published, we conducted new meta-analyses based on the original Cochrane criteria. RESULTS In low-resource settings, cost, distance and the time needed to access care are major barriers for effective uptake of antenatal and particularly intrapartum services. A number of innovative strategies to surmount cost, distance, and time barriers to accessing care were identified and evaluated; of these, community financial incentives, loan/insurance schemes, and maternity waiting homes seem promising, but few studies have reported or evaluated the impact of the wide-scale implementation of these strategies on stillbirth rates. Strategies to improve quality of care by upgrading the skills of community cadres have shown demonstrable impact on perinatal mortality, particularly in conjunction with health systems strengthening and facilitation of referrals. Neonatal resuscitation training for physicians and other health workers shows potential to prevent many neonatal deaths currently misclassified as stillbirths. Perinatal audit systems, which aim to improve quality of care by identifying deficiencies in care, are a quality improvement measure that shows some evidence of benefit for changes in clinical practice that prevent stillbirths, and are strongly recommended wherever practical, whether as hospital case review or as confidential enquiry at district or national level. CONCLUSION Delivering interventions to reduce the global burden of stillbirths requires action at all levels of the health system. Packages of interventions should be tailored to local conditions, including local levels and causes of stillbirth, accessibility of care and health system resources and provider skill. Antenatal care can potentially serve as a platform to deliver interventions to improve maternal nutrition, promote behaviour change to reduce harmful exposures and risk of infections, screen for and treat risk factors, and encourage skilled attendance at birth. Following the example of high-income countries, improving intrapartum monitoring for fetal distress and access to Caesarean section in low-/middle-income countries appears to be key to reducing intrapartum stillbirth. In remote or low-resource settings, families and communities can be galvanised to demand and seek quality care through financial incentives and health promotion efforts of local cadres of health workers, though these interventions often require simultaneous health systems strengthening. Perinatal audit can aid in the development of better standards of care, improving quality in health systems. Effective strategies to prevent stillbirth are known; gaps remain in the data, the evidence and perhaps most significantly, the political will to implement these strategies at scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- Division of Maternal and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Gary L Darmstadt
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rachel A Haws
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Joy E Lawn
- Saving Newborn Lives/Save the Children-US, Cape Town, South Africa
- International Perinatal Care Unit, Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- Health Systems Research Unit, Medical Research Council of South Africa, South Africa
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Ronsmans C. Severe acute maternal morbidity in low-income countries. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2009; 23:305-16. [PMID: 19201657 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2009.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2008] [Accepted: 01/05/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Although obstetric complications are sometimes presented as a relatively easy alternative to maternal deaths, difficulties remain in their definition and identification, and there is limited experience with the use of severe obstetric complications as a starting point for audits or case reviews or as an indicator for monitoring the success of safe motherhood programmes in low-income countries. In this paper we review published studies reporting on the measurement of severe acute maternal morbidity in low-income countries. We found 37 studies from 24 countries. We describe the definition and ascertainment of cases of severe acute maternal morbidity and we give examples of how information on severe acute maternal morbidity has been used to inform safe motherhood programmes in low-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carine Ronsmans
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, UK.
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20
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Effect of removing direct payment for health care on utilisation and health outcomes in Ghanaian children: a randomised controlled trial. PLoS Med 2009; 6:e1000007. [PMID: 19127975 PMCID: PMC2613422 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2008] [Accepted: 11/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delays in accessing care for malaria and other diseases can lead to disease progression, and user fees are a known barrier to accessing health care. Governments are introducing free health care to improve health outcomes. Free health care affects treatment seeking, and it is therefore assumed to lead to improved health outcomes, but there is no direct trial evidence of the impact of removing out-of-pocket payments on health outcomes in developing countries. This trial was designed to test the impact of free health care on health outcomes directly. METHODS AND FINDINGS 2,194 households containing 2,592 Ghanaian children under 5 y old were randomised into a prepayment scheme allowing free primary care including drugs, or to a control group whose families paid user fees for health care (normal practice); 165 children whose families had previously paid to enrol in the prepayment scheme formed an observational arm. The primary outcome was moderate anaemia (haemoglobin [Hb] < 8 g/dl); major secondary outcomes were health care utilisation, severe anaemia, and mortality. At baseline the randomised groups were similar. Introducing free primary health care altered the health care seeking behaviour of households; those randomised to the intervention arm used formal health care more and nonformal care less than the control group. Introducing free primary health care did not lead to any measurable difference in any health outcome. The primary outcome of moderate anaemia was detected in 37 (3.1%) children in the control and 36 children (3.2%) in the intervention arm (adjusted odds ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 0.66-1.67). There were four deaths in the control and five in the intervention group. Mean Hb concentration, severe anaemia, parasite prevalence, and anthropometric measurements were similar in each group. Families who previously self-enrolled in the prepayment scheme were significantly less poor, had better health measures, and used services more frequently than those in the randomised group. CONCLUSIONS In the study setting, removing out-of-pocket payments for health care had an impact on health care-seeking behaviour but not on the health outcomes measured.
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21
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Le développement de l'assurance maladie dans les pays à faible revenu : l'exemple des pays africains. C R Biol 2008; 331:952-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2008.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Marschall P, Flessa S. Expanding access to primary care without additional budgets? A case study from Burkina Faso. THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS : HEPAC : HEALTH ECONOMICS IN PREVENTION AND CARE 2008; 9:393-403. [PMID: 18197447 DOI: 10.1007/s10198-007-0095-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2007] [Accepted: 12/18/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to demonstrate the impact of increased access to primary care on provider costs in the rural health district of Nouna, Burkina Faso. This study question is crucial for health care planning in this district, as other research work shows that the population has a higher need for health care services. From a public health perspective, an increase of utilisation of first-line health facilities would be necessary. However, the governmental budget that is needed to finance improved access was not known. The study is based on data of 2004 of a comprehensive provider cost information system. This database provides us with the actual costs of each primary health care facility (Centre de Santé et de Promotion Sociale, CSPS) in the health district. We determine the fixed and variable costs of each institution and calculate the average cost per service unit rendered in 2004. Based on the cost structure of each CSPS, we calculate the total costs if the demand for health care services increased. We conclude that the total provider costs of primary care (and therefore the governmental budget) would hardly rise if the coverage of the population were increased. This is mainly due to the fact that the highest variable costs are drugs, which are fully paid for by the customers (Bamako Initiative). The majority of other costs are fixed. Consequently, health care reforms that improve access to health care institutions must not fear dramatically increasing the costs of health care services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Marschall
- Department of Health Care Management, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Str. 70, 17489 Greifswald, Germany.
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23
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Abstract
The provision of safe and effective delivery care for all women in poor countries remains elusive, resulting in a continuing burden of mortality in general and mortality from post-partum haemorrhage in particular. Deployment of a functional health system and effective linkage of the health system to communities are the necessary prerequisites for the provision of the life-saving technical interventions that will make a difference in individual cases. Sadly, two factors militate against progress: the mantra that 'we know what works' (resulting in some serious gaps in evidence for best practice in resource-poor settings) and a lack of large-scale investment in maternity services to counteract the degradation of infrastructure and depletion of human resources evident in many countries.
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Smith KV, Sulzbach S. Community-based health insurance and access to maternal health services: evidence from three West African countries. Soc Sci Med 2008; 66:2460-73. [PMID: 18362047 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Community-based health insurance (CBHI) has been incorporated into the health financing strategies of governments and communities in several Sub-Saharan African countries. Despite the support for and proliferation of CBHI schemes in this region, empirical evidence on how CBHI impacts access to health care, particularly maternal health services, is very limited. We use recent household surveys in three West African countries--Senegal, Mali, and Ghana--to examine the relationship between CBHI membership and access to formal sector maternal health care. We find that membership in a CBHI scheme is positively associated with the use of maternal health services, particularly in areas where utilization rates are very low and for more expensive delivery-related care. Our findings suggest, however, that membership in a CBHI scheme is not sufficient to influence maternal health behaviors - it is the inclusion of maternal health care in the benefits package that makes a difference. While many questions remain about CBHI, this study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that CBHI is a potential demand-side mechanism to increase maternal health care access. However, complementary supply-side interventions to improve quality of and geographic access to health care are also critical for improving health outcomes in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly V Smith
- Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School and Office of Population Research, 219 Wallace Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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Ranson MK, Sinha T, Chatterjee M, Gandhi F, Jayswal R, Patel F, Morris SS, Mills AJ. Equitable utilisation of Indian community based health insurance scheme among its rural membership: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2007; 334:1309. [PMID: 17526594 PMCID: PMC1895633 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.39192.719583.ae] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate alternative strategies for improving the uptake of benefits of a community based health insurance scheme by its poorest members. DESIGN Prospective cluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) community based health insurance scheme in rural India. Participants 713 claimants at baseline (2003) and 1440 claimants two years later among scheme members in 16 rural sub-districts. INTERVENTIONS After sales service with supportive supervision, prospective reimbursement, both packages, and neither package, randomised by sub-district. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was socioeconomic status of claimants relative to members living in the same sub-district. Secondary outcomes were enrolment rates in SEWA Insurance, mean socioeconomic status of the insured population relative to the general rural population, and rate of claim submission. RESULTS Between 2003 and 2005, the mean socioeconomic status of SEWA Insurance members (relative to the rural population of Gujarat) increased significantly. Rates of claims also increased significantly, on average by 21.6 per 1000 members (P<0.001). However, differences between the intervention groups and the standard scheme were not significant. No systematic effect of time or interventions on the socioeconomic status of claimants relative to members in the same sub-district was found. CONCLUSIONS Neither intervention was sufficient to ensure that the poorer members in each sub-district were able to enjoy the greater share of the scheme benefits. Claim submission increased as a result of interventions that seem to have strengthened awareness of and trust in a community based health insurance scheme. Trial registration Clinical trials NCT00421629.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kent Ranson
- Health Economics and Financing Programme, Health Policy Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT.
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26
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Drechsler D, Jütting J. Different countries, different needs: the role of private health insurance in developing countries. JOURNAL OF HEALTH POLITICS, POLICY AND LAW 2007; 32:497-534. [PMID: 17519475 DOI: 10.1215/03616878-2007-012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
This article discusses the role of private health insurance (PHI) in developing countries. Three broad regional clusters are identified that share similar characteristics and policy challenges for the effective integration of private insurance into national health care systems: (1) Latin America and Eastern Europe, where there are already developed insurance industries facing important market and policy failures; (2) the Middle East/North Africa region and East Asia, where there is a projected strong growth of PHI that needs to be accompanied by efficient regulation; and finally, (3) South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where PHI will only play a marginal role in the foreseeable future while the scaling up of small-scale, nonprofit insurance schemes appears to be of critical importance. Overall, this survey shows that the role of private insurance varies depending on the economic, social, and institutional settings in a country or region. Private health insurance schemes can be valuable tools to complement existing health-financing options only if they are carefully managed and adapted to local needs and preferences.
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Ruiz F, Amaya L, Venegas S. Progressive segmented health insurance: Colombian health reform and access to health services. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2007; 16:3-18. [PMID: 16929487 DOI: 10.1002/hec.1147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Equal access for poor populations to health services is a comprehensive objective for any health reform. The Colombian health reform addressed this issue through a segmented progressive social health insurance approach. The strategy was to assure universal coverage expanding the population covered through payroll linked insurance, and implementing a subsidized insurance program for the poorest populations, those not affiliated through formal employment. A prospective study was performed to follow-up health service utilization and out-of-pocket expenses using a cohort design. It was representative of four Colombian cities (Cendex Health Services Use and Expenditure Study, 2001). A four part econometric model was applied. The model related medical service utilization and medication with different socioeconomic, geographic, and risk associated variables. Results showed that subsidized health insurance improves health service utilization and reduces the financial burden for the poorest, as compared to those non-insured. Other social health insurance schemes preserved high utilization with variable out-of-pocket expenditures. Family and age conditions have significant effect on medical service utilization. Geographic variables play a significant role in hospital inpatient service utilization. Both, geographic and income variables also have significant impact on out-of-pocket expenses. Projected utilization rates and a simulation favor a dual policy for two-stage income segmented insurance to progress towards the universal insurance goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Ruiz
- Cendex, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
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28
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Abstract
Coverage of cost-effective maternal health services remains poor due to insufficient supply and inadequate demand for these services among the poorest groups. Households pay too great a share of the costs of maternal health services, or do not seek care because they cannot afford the costs. Available evidence creates a strong case for removal of user fees and provision of universal coverage for pregnant women, particularly for delivery care. To be successful, governments must also replenish the income lost through the abolition of user fees. Where insurance schemes exist, maternal health care needs to be included in the benefits package, and careful design is needed to ensure uptake by the poorest people. Voucher schemes should be tested in low-income settings, and their costs and relative cost-effectiveness assessed. Further research is needed on methods to target financial assistance for transport and time costs. Current investment in maternal health is insufficient to meet the fifth Millennium Development Goal (MDG), and much greater resources are needed to scale up coverage of maternal health services and create demand. Existing global estimates are too crude to be of use for domestic planning, since resource requirements will vary; budgets need first to be developed at country-level. Donors need to increase financial contributions for maternal health in low-income countries to help fill the resource gap. Resource tracking at country and donor levels will help hold countries and donors to account for their commitments to achieving the maternal health MDG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Borghi
- Health Economics and Financing Programme, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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Sinha T, Ranson MK, Chatterjee M, Acharya A, Mills AJ. Barriers to accessing benefits in a community-based insurance scheme: lessons learnt from SEWA Insurance, Gujarat. Health Policy Plan 2005; 21:132-42. [PMID: 16373360 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czj010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper seeks to examine barriers faced by members of a community-based insurance (CBI) scheme, which is targeted at poor women and their families, in accessing scheme benefits. CBI schemes have been developed and promoted as mechanisms to offer protection to poor families from the risks of ill-health, death and loss of assets. However, having voluntarily enrolled in a CBI scheme, poor households may find it difficult or impossible to access scheme benefits. The paper describes the results of qualitative research carried out to assess the barriers faced in accessing scheme benefits by members of the CBI scheme run by the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) in Gujarat, India. The study finds that the members face a variety of different barriers, particularly in seeking hospitalization and in submitting insurance claims. Some of the barriers are rooted in factors outside the scheme's control, such as illiteracy and financial poverty amongst members, and inadequacies of the transportation and health care infrastructure. But other barriers relate to the scheme's design and management, for example, lack of clarity among scheme staff regarding the scheme's rules and processes, and requirements that claimants submit documents to prove the validity of their claims. The paper makes recommendations as to how SEWA Insurance can address some of the identified barriers and discusses the relevance of these findings to other CBI schemes in India and elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Sinha
- Research Coordinator, Vimo SEWA, SEWA Reception Centre, Opposite Victoria Garden, Bhadra, Ahmedabad 380 001, India.
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Criel B, Atim C, Basaza R, Blaise P, Waelkens MP. Editorial: Community health insurance (CHI) in sub-Saharan Africa: researching the context. Trop Med Int Health 2004; 9:1041-3. [PMID: 15482395 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2004.01315.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Ronsmans C, De Brouwere V, Dubourg D, Dieltiens G. Measuring the need for life-saving obstetric surgery in developing countries. BJOG 2004; 111:1027-30. [PMID: 15383102 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2004.00247.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carine Ronsmans
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
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Buor D. Gender and the utilisation of health services in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. Health Policy 2004; 69:375-88. [PMID: 15276316 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2004.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2003] [Accepted: 01/12/2004] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The survey seeks to structure a model for gender-based health services utilisation for the Ashanti Region of Ghana, and in addition, recommend intervention measures to ensure gender equity in the utilisation of health services. A sample size of 650 covered over 3108 houses, and the main research instruments were the questionnaire and formal interview. A multiple regression model is used for the analysis of the relationship between the complex independent variables and utilisation by gender. Results show that although females have a greater need for health services than males, they do not utilise health services as much. Secondly, whereas quality of service, health status, service cost and education have greater effect on male utilisation than females, distance and income have higher impact on female utilisation. It is recommended that, to ensure equity in health care utilisation, females be empowered through increased access to formal education and sustainable income opportunities. The introduction of a national health insurance scheme is also recommended to ensure adequate access by both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Buor
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
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Abstract
The significant extent to which maternal education affects child health has been advanced in several sociodemographic-medical literature, but not much has been done in analysing the spatial dimension of the problem; and also using graphic and linear regression models of representation. In Ghana, very little has been done to relate the two variables and offer pragmatic explanations. The need to correlate the two, using a regression model, which is rarely applied in previous studies, is a methodological necessity. The paper examines the impact of mothers' education on childhood mortality in Ghana using, primarily, Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data of 1998 and World Bank data of 2000. The survey has emphatically established that there is an inverse relationship between mothers' education and child survivorship. The use of basic health facilities that relate to childhood survival shows a direct relationship with mothers' education. Recommendations for policy initiatives to simultaneously emphasise the education of the girl-child, and to ensure adequate access to maternal and child health services, have been made. The need for an experimental project of integrating maternal education and child health services has also been recommended. A linear regression model that illustrates the relationship between maternal education and childhood survival has emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Buor
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
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Mariam DH. Indigenous social insurance as an alternative financing mechanism for health care in Ethiopia (the case of eders). Soc Sci Med 2003; 56:1719-26. [PMID: 12639588 DOI: 10.1016/s0277-9536(02)00166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
With increasing demand for services further propagated by population growth and by people's response to newly emerging pathologies, nations in sub-Saharan Africa are faced with insurmountable problems in sustaining their health systems. Realizing the inadequacy of solely relying on the public sector, these countries are seeking alternative mechanisms for health financing. Among the alternatives suggested are risk-sharing mechanisms that include community-based schemes that tap the potential of indigenous social arrangements. In Ethiopia, eders are major forms of indigenous arrangements utilized mainly for assisting victims in bereavement and executing funeral-related activities. These associations are also called upon in various self-help activities and sometimes provide health insurance, even though mostly in an informal manner. Therefore, they have the potential to serve as social financing mechanisms. Since these are already functioning groups, the administrative cost for the extra health-related activity will not be as high as in the case of forming a new insurance entity. In addition, the fact that eders are based on mutual understanding among members minimizes the possibility of adverse selection. Based on the above background, an exploratory study was conducted in 40 villages distributed in various parts of Ethiopia to assess the possible roles eders might play in providing insurance for health financing. Both qualitative and quantitative (household and health facility exit interview surveys) methods of data collection were utilized. The study concludes that eder-based schemes are, indeed, options for experimentation as mechanisms for financing health care in rural Ethiopia. It was also found that 21.5% of respondents in the household and 16% of those in the exit surveys were already utilizing eders to finance part of their health expenditure. In addition, 86% of the respondents in the household and 90% of those in the exit survey were willing to participate in eder-based health insurance schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damen Haile Mariam
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 11950, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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