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McGivern G, Wafula F, Seruwagi G, Kiefer T, Musiega A, Nakidde C, Ogira D, Gill M, English M. Deconcentrating regulation in low- and middle-income country health systems: a proposed ambidextrous solution to problems with professional regulation for doctors and nurses in Kenya and Uganda. HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH 2024; 22:13. [PMID: 38308369 PMCID: PMC10835984 DOI: 10.1186/s12960-024-00891-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regulation can improve professional practice and patient care, but is often weakly implemented and enforced in health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Taking a de-centred and frontline perspective, we examine national regulatory actors' and health professionals' views and experiences of health professional regulation in Kenya and Uganda and discuss how it might be improved in LMICs more generally. METHODS We conducted large-scale research on professional regulation for doctors and nurses (including midwives) in Uganda and Kenya during 2019-2021. We interviewed 29 national regulatory stakeholders and 47 subnational regulatory actors, doctors, and nurses. We then ran a national survey of Kenyan and Ugandan doctors and nurses, which received 3466 responses. We thematically analysed qualitative data, conducted an exploratory factor analysis of survey data, and validated findings in four focus group discussions. RESULTS Kenyan and Ugandan regulators were generally perceived as resource-constrained, remote, and out of touch with health professionals. This resulted in weak regulation that did little to prevent malpractice and inadequate professional education and training. However, interviewees were positive about online licencing and regulation where they had relationships with accessible regulators. Building on these positive findings, we propose an ambidextrous approach to improving regulation in LMIC health systems, which we term deconcentrating regulation. This involves developing online licencing and streamlining regulatory administration to make efficiency savings, freeing regulatory resources. These resources should then be used to develop connected subnational regulatory offices, enhance relations between regulators and health professionals, and address problems at local level. CONCLUSION Professional regulation for doctors and nurses in Kenya and Uganda is generally perceived as weak. Yet these professionals are more positive about online licencing and regulation where they have relationships with regulators. Building on these positive findings, we propose deconcentrating regulation as a solution to regulatory problems in LMICs. However, we note resource, cultural and political barriers to its effective implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tina Kiefer
- University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Mike Gill
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Kinyenje ES, Yahya TA, Degeh MM, German CC, Hokororo JC, Mohamed MA, Nassoro OA, Bahegwa RP, Msigwa YS, Ngowi RR, Marandu LE, Mwaisengela SM, Eliakimu ES. Clients satisfaction at primary healthcare facilities and its association with implementation of client service charter in Tanzania. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272321. [PMID: 35969601 PMCID: PMC9377608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272321] [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: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Client service charter (CSC) provides information about what people can expect in a facility’s services; what is expected of clients and service providers. Tanzania implemented Star Rating Assessment (SRA) of primary health care (PHC) facilities in 2015/16 and 2017/18 using SRA tools with 12 service areas. This paper assesses the status of service area 7, namely client focus that checked if client was satisfied with services provided and implementation of CSC through three indicators–if: CSC was displayed; CSC was monitored; client feedback mechanism and complaints handling was in place.
Methods
We extracted and performed a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of data related to clients’ focus that are found in national SRA database of 2017/2018 using STATA version 15. Client satisfaction was regarded as dependent variable while facility characteristics plus three indicators of CSC as independent variables. Multivariate logistic regression with p-value of 5% and 95% confidence interval (CI) were applied.
Results
A total of 4,523 facilities met our inclusion criteria; 3,987 (88.2%) were dispensaries, 408 (9.0%) health centres and 128 (2.8%) hospitals. CSC was displayed in 69.1% facilities, monitored in 32.4% facilities, and 32.5% of the facilities had mechanisms for clients’ feedback and handling complaints. The overall prevalence of clients’ satisfaction was 72.8%. Clients’ satisfaction was strongly associated with all implementation indicators of CSC. Clients from urban-based facilities had 21% increased satisfaction compared rural-based facilities (AOR 1.21; 95%CI: 1.00–1.46); and clients from hospitals had 39% increased satisfaction compared to dispensaries (AOR 1.39; 95%CI: 1.10–1.77).
Conclusion
The implementation of CSC is low among Tanzanian PHC facilities. Clients are more satisfied if received healthcare services from facilities that display the charter, monitor its implementation, have mechanisms to obtain clients feedback and handle complaints. Clients’ satisfaction at PHC could be improved through adoption and implementation of CSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick S. Kinyenje
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
- * E-mail:
| | - Talhiya A. Yahya
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Mbwana M. Degeh
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Chrisogone C. German
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Joseph C. Hokororo
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Mohamed A. Mohamed
- Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (TFELTP), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- East Central and Southern Africa Health Community, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Omary A. Nassoro
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Radenta P. Bahegwa
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Yohanes S. Msigwa
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Ruth R. Ngowi
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Laura E. Marandu
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Syabo M. Mwaisengela
- Regional Administrative Secretary’s Office—Regional Health Management Team, Mtwara, Tanzania
| | - Eliudi S. Eliakimu
- Health Quality Assurance Unit, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dodoma, Tanzania
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Beane A, Wijesiriwardana W, Pell C, Dullewe NP, Sujeewa JA, Rathnayake RMD, Jayasinghe S, Dondorp AM, Schultsz C, Haniffa R. Recognising the deterioration of patients in acute care wards: a qualitative study. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 7:137. [PMID: 37601318 PMCID: PMC10435917 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17624.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Infrastructure, equipment and staff constraints are often cited as barriers to the recognition and rescue of deteriorating patients in resource-limited settings. The impact of health-system organisation, decision-making and organisational culture on recognition of deterioration is however poorly understood. This study explores how health care providers recognise deterioration of patients in acute care in Sri Lanka. Methods: In-depth interviews exploring decision making and care processes related to recognition of deterioration, were conducted with a purposive sample of 23 health care workers recruited from ten wards at a district hospital in Sri Lanka. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded thematically, line-by-line, using a general inductive approach. Results: A legacy of initial assessment on admission and inimical organisational culture undermined recognition of deteriorating patients in hospital. Informal triaging at the time of ward admission resulted in patients presenting with red-flag diagnoses and vital sign derangement requiring resuscitation being categorised as "bad". The legacy of this categorisation was a series of decision-making biases anchored in the initial assessment, which remained with the patient throughout their stay. Management for patients categorised as "bad" was prioritised by healthcare workers coupled with a sense of fatalism regarding adverse outcomes. Health care workers were reluctant to deviate from the original plan of care despite changes in patient condition (continuation bias). Organisational culture - vertical hierarchy, siloed working and a reluctance to accept responsibility- resulted in omissions which undermined recognition of deterioration. Fear of blame was a barrier to learning from adverse events. Conclusions: The legacy of admission assessment and hospital organisational culture undermined recognition of deterioration. Opportunities for improving recognition of deterioration in this setting may include establishing formal triage and medical emergency teams to facilitate timely recognition and escalation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abi Beane
- Nat-Intensive Care Surveillance, MORU, Colombo, 08, Sri Lanka
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
- Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | | | - Christopher Pell
- Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), Amsterdam, 105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - N. P. Dullewe
- Nat-Intensive Care Surveillance, MORU, Colombo, 08, Sri Lanka
| | - J. A. Sujeewa
- Monaragala District General Hospital, Monaragala, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Saroj Jayasinghe
- Department of Medical Humanities, University of Colombo, Colombo, 8, Sri Lanka
| | - Arjen M. Dondorp
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Constance Schultsz
- Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), Amsterdam, 105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - Rashan Haniffa
- Nat-Intensive Care Surveillance, MORU, Colombo, 08, Sri Lanka
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
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Martínez-García M, Villegas Camacho JM, Hernández-Lemus E. Connections and Biases in Health Equity and Culture Research: A Semantic Network Analysis. Front Public Health 2022; 10:834172. [PMID: 35425756 PMCID: PMC9002348 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.834172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Health equity is a rather complex issue. Social context and economical disparities, are known to be determining factors. Cultural and educational constrains however, are also important contributors to the establishment and development of health inequities. As an important starting point for a comprehensive discussion, a detailed analysis of the literature corpus is thus desirable: we need to recognize what has been done, under what circumstances, even what possible sources of bias exist in our current discussion on this relevant issue. By finding these trends and biases we will be better equipped to modulate them and find avenues that may lead us to a more integrated view of health inequity, potentially enhancing our capabilities to intervene to ameliorate it. In this study, we characterized at a large scale, the social and cultural determinants most frequently reported in current global research of health inequity and the interrelationships among them in different populations under diverse contexts. We used a data/literature mining approach to the current literature followed by a semantic network analysis of the interrelationships discovered. The analyzed structured corpus consisted in circa 950 articles categorized by means of the Medical Subheadings (MeSH) content-descriptor from 2014 to 2021. Further analyses involved systematic searches in the LILACS and DOAJ databases, as additional sources. The use of data analytics techniques allowed us to find a number of non-trivial connections, pointed out to existing biases and under-represented issues and let us discuss what are the most relevant concepts that are (and are not) being discussed in the context of Health Equity and Culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireya Martínez-García
- Department of Immunology, National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - José Manuel Villegas Camacho
- Clinical Research Division, National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.,Social Relations Department, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Enrique Hernández-Lemus
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico.,Center for Complexity Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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Beane A, Wijesiriwardana W, Pell C, Dullewe NP, Sujeewa JA, Rathnayake RMD, Jayasinghe S, Dondorp AM, Schultsz C, Haniffa R. Recognising the deterioration of patients in acute care wards: a qualitative study. Wellcome Open Res 2022. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17624.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Infrastructure, equipment and staff constraints are often cited as barriers to the recognition and rescue of deteriorating patients in resource-limited settings. The impact of health-system organisation, decision-making and organisational culture on recognition of deterioration is however poorly understood. This study explores how health care providers recognise deterioration of patients in acute care in Sri Lanka. Methods: In-depth interviews exploring decision making and care processes related to recognition of deterioration, were conducted with a purposive sample of 23 health care workers recruited from ten wards at a district hospital in Sri Lanka. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded thematically, line-by-line, using a general inductive approach. Results: A legacy of initial assessment on admission and inimical organisational culture undermined recognition of deteriorating patients in hospital. Informal triaging at the time of ward admission resulted in patients presenting with red-flag diagnoses and vital sign derangement requiring resuscitation being categorised as "bad". The legacy of this categorisation was a series of decision-making biases anchored in the initial assessment, which remained with the patient throughout their stay. Management for patients categorised as “bad” was prioritised by healthcare workers coupled with a sense of fatalism regarding adverse outcomes. Health care workers were reluctant to deviate from the original plan of care despite changes in patient condition (continuation bias). Organisational culture - vertical hierarchy, siloed working and a reluctance to accept responsibility- resulted in omissions which undermined recognition of deterioration. Fear of blame was a barrier to learning from adverse events. Conclusions: The legacy of admission assessment and hospital organisational culture undermined recognition of deterioration. Opportunities for improving recognition of deterioration in this setting may include establishing formal triage and medical emergency teams to facilitate timely recognition and escalation.
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Wishnia J, Goudge J. Strengthening public financial management in the health sector: a qualitative case study from South Africa. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:e006911. [PMID: 34728478 PMCID: PMC8565558 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-006911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Effective public financial management (PFM) ensures public health funds are used to deliver services in the best way possible. Given the global call for universal health coverage, and concerns about the management of public funds in many low-income and middle-income countries, PFM has become an important area of research. South Africa has a robust PFM framework, that is generally adhered to, and yet financial outcomes have remained poor. In this paper, we describe how a South African provincial department of health tried to strengthen its PFM processes by deploying finance managers into service delivery units, involving service delivery managers in the monthly finance meeting, using a weekly committee to review expenditure requests and starting a weekly managers' 'touch-base' meeting. We assess whether these strategies strengthened collaboration and trust and how this impacted on PFM. METHOD This research used a case study design with ethnographic methods. Semi-structured interviews (n=30) were conducted with participant observations. Thematic analysis was used to identify emergent themes and collaborative public management theory was then used to frame the findings. The authors used reflexive methods, and member checking was conducted. RESULTS The deployment of staff and touch-base meeting illustrated the potential of multidisciplinary teams when members share power, and the importance of impartial leadership when trying to achieve consensus on how to prioritise resource use. However, the service delivery and finance managers did not manage to collaborate in the monthly finance meeting to develop realistic budgets, or to reprioritise expenditure when required. The resulting mistrust threatened to derail the other strategies, highlighting how critical trust is for collaboration. CONCLUSION Effective PFM requires authentic collaboration between service delivery and finance managers; formal processes alone will not achieve this. We recommend more opportunities for 'boundary crossing', embedding finance managers in service delivery units and impartial effective leadership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi Wishnia
- Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jane Goudge
- Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Parashar R, Gawde N, Gupt A, Gilson L. Unpacking the implementation blackbox using 'actor interface analysis': how did actor relations and practices of power influence delivery of a free entitlement health policy in India? Health Policy Plan 2020; 35:ii74-ii83. [PMID: 33156935 PMCID: PMC7646725 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czaa125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Exploring the implementation blackbox from a perspective that considers embedded practices of power is critical to understand the policy process. However, the literature is scarce on this subject. To address the paucity of explicit analyses of everyday politics and power in health policy implementation, this article presents the experience of implementing a flagship health policy in India. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), launched in the year 2011, has not been able to fully deliver its promises of providing free maternal and child health services in public hospitals. To examine how power practices, influence implementation, we undertook a qualitative analysis of JSSK implementation in one state of India. We drew on an actor-oriented perspective of development and used 'actor interface analysis' to guide the study design and analysis. Data collection included in-depth interviews of implementing actors and JSSK service recipients, document review and observations of actor interactions. A framework analysis method was used for analysing data, and the framework used was founded on the constructs of actor lifeworlds, which help understand the often neglected and lived realities of policy actors. The findings illustrate that implementation was both strengthened and constrained by practices of power at various interface encounters. The implementation decisions and actions were influenced by power struggles such as domination, control, resistance, contestation, facilitation and collaboration. Such practices were rooted in: Social and organizational power relationships like organizational hierarchies and social positions; personal concerns or characteristics like interests, attitudes and previous experiences and the worldviews of actors constructed by social and ideological paradigms like their values and beliefs. Application of 'actor interface analysis' and further nuancing of the concept of 'actor lifeworlds' to understand the origin of practices of power can be useful for understanding the influence of everyday power and politics on the policy process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Parashar
- School of Health Systems Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai , India and Health Systems, Oxford Policy Management Limited, India
| | - Nilesh Gawde
- School of Health Systems Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India
| | - Anadi Gupt
- National Health Mission, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla, India
| | - Lucy Gilson
- Division of Health Policy and Systems, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa and Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Rogers L, De Brún A, McAuliffe E. Defining and assessing context in healthcare implementation studies: a systematic review. BMC Health Serv Res 2020; 20:591. [PMID: 32600396 PMCID: PMC7322847 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-020-05212-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The implementation of evidence-based healthcare interventions is challenging, with a 17-year gap identified between the generation of evidence and its implementation in routine practice. Although contextual factors such as culture and leadership are strong influences for successful implementation, context remains poorly understood, with a lack of consensus regarding how it should be defined and captured within research. This study addresses this issue by providing insight into how context is defined and assessed within healthcare implementation science literature and develops a definition to enable effective measurement of context. METHODS Medline, PsychInfo, CINAHL and EMBASE were searched. Articles were included if studies were empirical and evaluated context during the implementation of a healthcare initiative. These English language articles were published in the previous 10 years and included a definition and assessment of context. Results were synthesised using a narrative approach. RESULTS Three thousand and twenty-one search records were obtained of which 64 met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Studies used a variety of definitions in terms of the level of detail and explanation provided. Some listed contextual factors (n = 19) while others documented sub-elements of a framework that included context (n = 19). The remaining studies provide a rich definition of general context (n = 11) or aspects of context (n = 15). The Alberta Context Tool was the most frequently used quantitative measure (n = 4), while qualitative papers used a range of frameworks to evaluate context. Mixed methods studies used diverse approaches; some used frameworks to inform the methods chosen while others used quantitative measures to inform qualitative data collection. Most studies (n = 50) applied the chosen measure to all aspects of study design with a majority analysing context at an individual level (n = 29). CONCLUSIONS This review highlighted inconsistencies in defining and measuring context which emphasised the need to develop an operational definition. By providing this consensus, improvements in implementation processes may result, as a common understanding will help researchers to appropriately account for context in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Rogers
- University College Dublin Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, Education and Innovation in Health Systems (UCD IRIS), Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
- University College Dublin School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - A. De Brún
- University College Dublin Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, Education and Innovation in Health Systems (UCD IRIS), Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
- University College Dublin School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - E. McAuliffe
- University College Dublin Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, Education and Innovation in Health Systems (UCD IRIS), Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
- University College Dublin School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Dossou JP, De Brouwere V, Van Belle S, Marchal B. Opening the 'implementation black-box' of the user fee exemption policy for caesarean section in Benin: a realist evaluation. Health Policy Plan 2020; 35:153-166. [PMID: 31746998 PMCID: PMC7050689 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czz146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To improve access to maternal health services, Benin introduced in 2009 a user fee exemption policy for caesarean sections. Similar to other low- and middle-income countries, its implementation showed mixed results. Our study aimed at understanding why and in which circumstances the implementation of this policy in hospitals succeeded or failed. We adopted the realist evaluation approach and tested the initial programme theory through a multiple embedded case study design. We selected two hospitals with contrastive outcomes. We used data from 52 semi-structured interviews, a patient exit survey, a costing study of caesarean section and an analysis of financial flows. In the analysis, we used the intervention-context-actor-mechanism-outcome configuration heuristic. We identified two main causal pathways. First, in the state-owned hospital, which has a public-oriented but administrative management system, and where citizens demand accountability through various channels, the implementation process was effective. In the non-state-owned hospital, managers were guided by organizational financial interests more than by the inherent social value of the policy, there was a perceived lack of enforcement and the implementation was poor. We found that trust, perceived coercion, adherence to policy goals, perceived financial incentives and fairness in their allocation drive compliance, persuasion, positive responses to incentives and self-efficacy at the operational level to generate the policy implementation outcomes. Compliance with the policy depended on enforcement by hierarchical authority and bottom-up pressure. Persuasion depended on the alignment of the policy with personal and organizational values. Incentives may determine the adoption if they influence the local stakeholder's revenue are trustworthy and perceived as fairly allocated. Failure to anticipate the differential responses of implementers will prevent the proper implementation of user fee exemption policies and similar universal health coverage reforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Dossou
- Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et en Démographie, CNHU/HKM, Avenue Jean-Paul II, Cotonou, Benin
- Unit of Health Services Organization, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 155 Nationalestraat, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Vincent De Brouwere
- Unit of Health Services Organization, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 155 Nationalestraat, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sara Van Belle
- Health Policy Unit, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 155 Nationalestraat, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7535, Republic of South Africa
| | - Bruno Marchal
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7535, Republic of South Africa
- Health Systems Unit, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 155 Nationalestraat, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
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Gilson L. Reflections from South Africa on the Value and Application of a Political Economy Lens for Health Financing Reform. Health Syst Reform 2019; 5:236-243. [DOI: 10.1080/23288604.2019.1634382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Gilson
- Health Policy and Systems Division, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,London, UK
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Dossou JP, Cresswell JA, Makoutodé P, De Brouwere V, Witter S, Filippi V, Kanhonou LG, Goufodji SB, Lange IL, Lawin L, Affo F, Marchal B. 'Rowing against the current': the policy process and effects of removing user fees for caesarean sections in Benin. BMJ Glob Health 2018; 3:e000537. [PMID: 29564156 PMCID: PMC5859807 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In 2009, the Benin government introduced a user fee exemption policy for caesarean sections. We analyse this policy with regard to how the existing ideas and institutions related to user fees influenced key steps of the policy cycle and draw lessons that could inform the policy dialogue for universal health coverage in the West African region. Methods Following the policy stages model, we analyse the agenda setting, policy formulation and legitimation phase, and assess the implementation fidelity and policy results. We adopted an embedded case study design, using quantitative and qualitative data collected with 13 tools at the national level and in seven hospitals implementing the policy. Results We found that the initial political goal of the policy was not to reduce maternal mortality but to eliminate the detention in hospitals of mothers and newborns who cannot pay the user fees by exempting a comprehensive package of maternal health services. We found that the policy development process suffered from inadequate uptake of evidence and that the policy content and process were not completely in harmony with political and public health goals. The initial policy intention clashed with the neoliberal orientation of the political system, the fee recovery principles institutionalised since the Bamako Initiative and the prevailing ideas in favour of user fees. The policymakers did not take these entrenched factors into account. The resulting tension contributed to a benefit package covering only caesarean sections and to the variable implementation and effectiveness of the policy. Conclusion The influence of organisational culture in the decision-making processes in the health sector is often ignored but must be considered in the design and implementation of any policy aimed at achieving universal health coverage in West African countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Dossou
- Department of Public Health, Research Centre in Human Reproduction and Demography, Cotonou, Benin.,Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jenny A Cresswell
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Patrick Makoutodé
- Department of Public Health, Research Centre in Human Reproduction and Demography, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Vincent De Brouwere
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sophie Witter
- Institute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Veronique Filippi
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Lydie G Kanhonou
- Department of Public Health, Research Centre in Human Reproduction and Demography, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Sourou B Goufodji
- Department of Public Health, Research Centre in Human Reproduction and Demography, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Isabelle L Lange
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Lionel Lawin
- Department of Public Health, Research Centre in Human Reproduction and Demography, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Fabien Affo
- Department of Public Health, Research Centre in Human Reproduction and Demography, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Bruno Marchal
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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12
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Gilson L, Lehmann U, Schneider H. Practicing governance towards equity in health systems: LMIC perspectives and experience. Int J Equity Health 2017; 16:171. [PMID: 28911320 PMCID: PMC5599870 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-017-0665-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The unifying theme of the papers in this series is a concern for understanding the everyday practice of governance in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) health systems. Rather than seeing governance as a normative health system goal addressed through the architecture and design of accountability and regulatory frameworks, these papers provide insights into the real-world decision-making of health policy and system actors. Their multiple, routine decisions translate policy intentions into practice - and are filtered through relationships, underpinned by values and norms, influenced by organizational structures and resources, and embedded in historical and socio-political contexts. These decisions are also political acts - in that they influence who accesses benefits and whose voices are heard in decision-making, reinforcing or challenging existing institutional exclusion and power inequalities. In other words, the everyday practice of governance has direct impacts on health system equity.The papers in the series address governance through diverse health policy and system issues, consider actors located at multiple levels of the system and draw on multi-disciplinary perspectives. They present detailed examination of experiences in a range of African and Indian settings, led by authors who live and work in these settings. The overall purpose of the papers in this series is thus to provide an empirical and embedded research perspective on governance and equity in health systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Gilson
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Uta Lehmann
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Helen Schneider
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
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