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Wagner Z, Mohanan M, Zutshi R, Mukherji A, Sood N. What drives poor quality of care for child diarrhea? Experimental evidence from India. Science 2024; 383:eadj9986. [PMID: 38330118 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj9986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Most health care providers in developing countries know that oral rehydration salts (ORS) are a lifesaving and inexpensive treatment for child diarrhea, yet few prescribe it. This know-do gap has puzzled experts for decades. Using randomized experiments in India, we estimated the extent to which ORS underprescription is driven by perceptions that patients do not want ORS, provider's financial incentives, and ORS stock-outs (out-of-stock events). Patients expressing a preference for ORS increased ORS prescribing by 27 percentage points. Eliminating stock-outs increased ORS provision by 7 percentage points. Removing financial incentives did not affect ORS prescribing on average but did increase ORS prescribing at pharmacies. We estimate that perceptions that patients do not want ORS explain 42% of underprescribing, whereas stock-outs and financial incentives explain only 6 and 5%, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Wagner
- Department of Economics, Sociology and Statistics, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- Pardee RAND Graduate School, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Manoj Mohanan
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rushil Zutshi
- Department of Economics, Sociology and Statistics, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- Pardee RAND Graduate School, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Arnab Mukherji
- Center for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Neeraj Sood
- Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Sriram V, Yilmaz V, Kaur S, Andres C, Cheng M, Meessen B. The role of private healthcare sector actors in health service delivery and financing policy processes in low-and middle-income countries: a scoping review. BMJ Glob Health 2024; 8:e013408. [PMID: 38316466 PMCID: PMC11077349 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The expansion of the private healthcare sector in some low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) has raised key questions and debates regarding the governance of this sector, and the role of actors representing the sector in policy processes. Research on the role played by this sector, understood here as private hospitals, pharmacies and insurance companies, remains underdeveloped in the literature. In this paper, we present the results of a scoping review focused on synthesising scholarship on the role of private healthcare sector actors in health policy processes pertaining to health service delivery and financing in LMICs. We explore the role of organisations or groups-for example, individual companies, corporations or interest groups-representing healthcare sector actors, and use a conceptual framework of institutions, ideas, interests and networks to guide our analysis. The screening process resulted in 15 papers identified for data extraction. We found that the literature in this domain is highly interdisciplinary but nascent, with largely descriptive work and undertheorisation of policy process dynamics. Many studies described institutional mechanisms enabling private sector participation in decision-making in generic terms. Some studies reported competing institutional frameworks for particular policy areas (eg, commerce compared with health in the context of medical tourism). Private healthcare actors showed considerable heterogeneity in their organisation. Papers also referred to a range of strategies used by these actors. Finally, policy outcomes described in the cases were highly context specific and dependent on the interaction between institutions, interests, ideas and networks. Overall, our analysis suggests that the role of private healthcare actors in health policy processes in LMICs, particularly emerging industries such as hospitals, holds key insights that will be crucial to understanding and managing their role in expanding health service access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veena Sriram
- School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Volkan Yilmaz
- School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences, Ulster University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Simran Kaur
- School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chloei Andres
- School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael Cheng
- Western University Faculty of Law, London, Ontario, Canada
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Brindley C, Wijemunige N, Dieteren C, Bom J, Meessen B, Bonfrer I. Health seeking behaviours and private sector delivery of care for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:127. [PMID: 38263128 PMCID: PMC10807218 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10464-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity placing a huge burden on individuals, families and health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This rising disease burden calls for policy responses that engage the entire health care system. This study aims to synthesize evidence on how people with NCDs choose their healthcare providers in LMICs, and the outcomes of these choices, with a focus on private sector delivery. METHODS A systematic search for literature following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. We extracted and synthesised data on the determinants and outcomes of private health care utilisation for NCDs in LMICs. A quality and risk of bias assessment was performed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). RESULTS We identified 115 studies for inclusion. Findings on determinants and outcomes were heterogenous, often based on a particular country context, disease, and provider. The most reported determinants of seeking private NCD care were patients having a higher socioeconomic status; greater availability of services, staff and medicines; convenience including proximity and opening hours; shorter waiting times and perceived quality. Transitioning between public and private facilities is common. Costs to patients were usually far higher in the private sector for both inpatient and outpatient settings. The quality of NCD care seems mixed depending on the disease, facility size and location, as well as the aspect of quality assessed. CONCLUSION Given the limited, mixed and context specific evidence currently available, adapting health service delivery models to respond to NCDs remains a challenge in LMICs. More robust research on health seeking behaviours and outcomes, especially through large multi-country surveys, is needed to inform the effective design of mixed health care systems that effectively engage both public and private providers. TRIAL REGISTRATION PROSPERO registration number CRD42022340059 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Callum Brindley
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Erasmus Centre for Health Economics Rotterdam (EsCHER), Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Nilmini Wijemunige
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Institute for Health Policy, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Charlotte Dieteren
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus Centre for Health Economics Rotterdam (EsCHER), Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Judith Bom
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus Centre for Health Economics Rotterdam (EsCHER), Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Igna Bonfrer
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus Centre for Health Economics Rotterdam (EsCHER), Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Rao KD, Mehta A, Noonan C, Peters MA, Perry H. Voting with their feet: Primary care provider choice and its implications for public sector primary care services in India. Soc Sci Med 2024; 340:116414. [PMID: 38039764 PMCID: PMC10828545 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Expanding networks of government primary health centers (PHCs) to bring health services closer to communities is a longstanding policy objective in LMICs. In pluralistic health systems, where public and private providers compete for patients, PHCs are often not the preferred source for care. This study analyzes the market for primary care services in the Indian state of Bihar to understand how choice of primary care provider is influenced by distance, cost and quality of care. This study is based on linked surveys of rural households, PHCs, and private primary care providers conducted in 2019 and 2020. Most rural residents lived in proximity to a primary care provider, though not a qualified one. Within a 5-km distance, 60% of villages had a PHC, 90% had an informal provider, 35% an Indian systems of medicine practitioner, and 10% a private MBBS doctor. Most patients sought care from informal providers irrespective of PHC distance; only 25% of patients living in the PHC's vicinity sought care there. Reducing distance to the PHC by 1 km marginally increased the likehood of the PHC being selected, and reduced the likelihood of private clinics being selected. Reducing patient's costs at PHCs increased the likelihood of the PHC being selected and reduced the likelihood of private clinics and private hospitals being selected. Improved clinical quality at PHCs had no effect on patient selection of PHCs, private clinics, or hospitals. Illness severity reduced the likelihood of PHCs or private clinics being selected, and increased the likelihood of private hospitals selected. Wealthier patients were marginally more likely to use PHCs, substantially more likely to use private hospitals, and less likely to use private clinics. Expanding PHC network coverage or improving their quality of care is not sufficient to make PHCs more relevant to local health needs. An orientation towards essential public health functions, as well as, a community-centered approach to the organization of primary health care system is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna D Rao
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Akriti Mehta
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Caitlin Noonan
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Michael A Peters
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Henry Perry
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Coveney L, Musoke D, Russo G. Do private health providers help achieve Universal Health Coverage? A scoping review of the evidence from low-income countries. Health Policy Plan 2023; 38:1050-1063. [PMID: 37632759 PMCID: PMC10566321 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czad075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is the dominant paradigm in health systems research, positing that everyone should have access to a range of affordable health services. Although private providers are an integral part of world health systems, their contribution to achieving UHC is unclear, particularly in low-income countries (LICs). We scoped the literature to map out the evidence on private providers' contribution to UHC progress in LICs. Literature searches of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were conducted in 2022. A total of 1049 documents published between 2002 and 2022 were screened for eligibility using predefined inclusion criteria, focusing on formal as well as informal private health sectors in 27 LICs. Primary qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods evidence was included, as well as original analysis of secondary data. The Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of the studies. Relevant evidence was extracted and analysed using an adapted UHC framework. We identified 34 papers documenting how most basic health care services are already provided through the private sector in countries such as Uganda, Afghanistan and Somalia. A substantial proportion of primary care, mother, child and malaria services are available through non-public providers across all 27 LICs. Evidence exists that while formal private providers mostly operate in well-served urban settings, informal and not-for-profit ones cater for underserved rural and urban areas. Nonetheless, there is evidence that the quality of the services by informal providers is suboptimal. A few studies suggested that the private sector fails to advance financial protection against ill-health, as costs are higher than in public facilities and services are paid out of pocket. We conclude that despite their shortcomings, working with informal private providers to increase quality and financing of their services may be key to realizing UHC in LICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Coveney
- The Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, 58 Turner Street, London E1 2AB, United Kingdom
| | - David Musoke
- School of Public Health, Makerere University, New Mulago Hill Road, Mulango, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Giuliano Russo
- The Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, 58 Turner Street, London E1 2AB, United Kingdom
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Shaikh A, Khan SD, Baloch F, Virani SS, Samad Z. The COVID-19 Pandemic and Coronary Heart Disease: the Next Surge. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2023; 25:559-569. [PMID: 37531071 DOI: 10.1007/s11883-023-01131-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In this narrative review, we highlight different ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted coronary heart disease (CHD) burden and how a surge in morbidity and mortality may be expected in the near future. We also discuss potential solutions, and the direction subsequent research and corrective actions should take. RECENT FINDINGS COVID-19 has been implicated in the development and worsening of CHD via acute and chronic mechanisms in the form of plaque rupture, destabilization, and sustenance of a chronic inflammatory state leading to long COVID syndrome and increased rates of myocardial infarction. However, indirectly the pandemic is likely to further escalate the CHD burden through poor health behaviors such as tobacco consumption, reduced physical activity, economic devastation and its associated sequelae, and regular cardiac care interruptions and delays. COVID-19 has increased the total CHD burden and will require extensive resource allocation and multifaceted strategies to curb future rise.
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Wagner Z, Banerjee S, Mohanan M, Sood N. Does the market reward quality? Evidence from India. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 23:467-505. [PMID: 36477343 DOI: 10.1007/s10754-022-09341-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
There are two salient facts about health care in low and middle-income countries; (1) the private sector plays an important role and (2) the care provided is often of poor quality. Despite these facts we know little about what drives quality of care in the private sector and why patients seek care from poor quality providers. We use two field studies in India that provide insight into this issue. First, we use a discrete choice experiment to show that patients strongly value technical quality. Second, we use standardized patients to show that better quality providers are not able to charge higher prices. Instead providers are able to charge higher prices for elements of quality that the patient can observe, which are less important for health outcomes. Future research should explore whether accessible information on technical quality of local providers can shift demand to higher quality providers and improve health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Manoj Mohanan
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Neeraj Sood
- Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Brindley C, Wijemunige N, Dieteren C, Bom J, Engel M, Meessen B, Bonfrer I. Health seeking behaviours and private sector delivery of care for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: protocol for a systematic review. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e066213. [PMID: 37620272 PMCID: PMC10450129 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has increased substantially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and adapting health service delivery models to address this remains a challenge. Many patients with NCD seek private care at different points in their encounters with the health system, but the determinants and outcomes of these choices are insufficiently understood. The proposed systematic review will help inform the governance of mixed health systems towards achieving the goal of universal health coverage. This protocol details our intended methodological and analytical approaches, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). METHODS AND ANALYSIS Following the PRISMA approach, this systematic review will develop a descriptive synthesis of the determinants and outcomes of private healthcare utilisation for NCDs in LMICs. The databases Embase, Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, EconLit, Global Index Medicus and Google Scholar will be searched for relevant studies published in English between period 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2022 with additional searching of reference lists. The study selection process will involve a title-abstract and full-text review, guided by clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A quality and risk of bias assessment will be done for each study using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval is not required because this review is based on data collected from publicly available materials. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at related scientific events. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42022340059.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callum Brindley
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus Centre for Health Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nilmini Wijemunige
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Institute for Health Policy, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Charlotte Dieteren
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus Centre for Health Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Judith Bom
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus Centre for Health Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Engel
- Erasmus Medical Centre, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Igna Bonfrer
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus Centre for Health Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Tappis H, Lak R, Alhilfi R, Zangana AH, Wadi F, Hipgrave D, Ibrahim S. Quality of maternal and newborn health care at private hospitals in Iraq: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2023; 23:331. [PMID: 37161362 PMCID: PMC10170688 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-05678-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately 25% of facility births take place in private health facilities. Recent national studies of maternal and newborn health (MNH) service availability and quality have focused solely on the status of public sector facilities, leaving a striking gap in information on the quality of maternal and newborn care services. METHODS A rapid cross-sectional assessment was conducted in November 2022 to assess the quality of MNH services at private hospitals in Iraq. Multi-stage sampling was used to select 15% of the country's 164 private hospitals. Assessment tools included a facility assessment checklist, a structured health worker interview tool, and a structured client exit interview tool. Data collection was conducted using KoboToolbox software on Android tablets, and analysis conducted using SPSS v28. RESULTS All hospitals visited provided MNH services and had skilled personnel present or on-call 24 h/day, 7 days/week. Most births (88%) documented between January and June 2022 were cesarean births. Findings indicate that nearly all hospitals have the human resources, equipment, medicines and supplies necessary for quality antenatal, intrapartum and early essential newborn care, and many are also equipped with special units and resources needed to care for small and sick babies. However, while resources are in place for basic and advanced care, there are gaps in knowledge and practice of high-impact interventions that require few or no resources to perform, including skin-to-skin thermal care and support for early initiation of breastfeeding. Person-centered maternity care scores suggest that private hospitals offer a positive experience of care for all clients, however there is room for improvement in provider-client communication. CONCLUSIONS This assessment highlights the need for deeper dives into factors that underly decisions about how and where to give birth, and both understanding and practice of early essential newborn care and pre-discharge examinations and counseling at private healthcare facilities in Iraq. Engaging private health facility staff in efforts to monitor and improve the quality of maternal and newborn care, with a focus on early essential newborn care and provider-client communication for all clients, will ensure that women and newborns benefit from the best care possible with available resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Tappis
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Rebaz Lak
- Kurdistan Higher Council of Medical Specialties, Erbil, Iraq
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Long LC, Girdwood S, Govender K, Meyer-Rath G, Miot J. Cost and outcomes of routine HIV care and treatment: public and private service delivery models covering low-income earners in South Africa. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:240. [PMID: 36906559 PMCID: PMC10007767 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09147-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While South Africa's national HIV program is the largest in the world, it has yet to reach the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. To reach these targets, the expansion of the HIV treatment program may be accelerated through the use private sector delivery models. This study identified three innovative non-governmental primary health care models (private sector) providing HIV treatment, as well as two government primary health clinics (public sector) that served similar populations. We estimated the resources used, and costs and outcomes of HIV treatment across these models to provide inputs to inform decisions around how these services might best be provided through National Health Insurance (NHI). METHODS A review of potential private sector models for HIV treatment in a primary health care setting was conducted. Models actively offering HIV treatment (i.e. in 2019) were considered for inclusion in the evaluation, subject to data availability and location. These models were augmented by government primary health clinics offering HIV services in similar locations. We conducted a cost-outcomes analysis by collecting patient-level resource usage and treatment outcomes through retrospective medical record reviews and a bottom-up micro-costing from the provider perspective (public or private payer). Patient outcomes were based on whether the patient was still in care at the end of the follow up period and viral load (VL) status, to create the following outcome categories: in care and responding (VL suppressed), in care and not responding (VL unsuppressed), in care (VL unknown) and not in care (LTFU or deceased). Data collection was conducted in 2019 and reflects services provided during the 4 years prior to that (2016-2019). RESULTS Three hundred seventy-six patients were included across the five HIV treatment models. Across the three private sector models there were differences in the costs and outcomes of HIV treatment delivery, two of the models had results similar to the public sector primary health clinics. The nurse-led model appears to have a cost-outcome profile distinct from the others. CONCLUSION The results show that across the private sector models studied the costs and outcomes of HIV treatment delivery vary, yet there were models that provided costs and outcomes similar to those found with public sector delivery. Offering HIV treatment under NHI through private delivery models could therefore be an option to increase access beyond the current public sector capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- L C Long
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE²RO), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, United States.
| | - S Girdwood
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE²RO), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - K Govender
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE²RO), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - G Meyer-Rath
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE²RO), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - J Miot
- Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE²RO), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, United States
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Daniels B, Shah D, Kwan AT, Das R, Das V, Puri V, Tipre P, Waghmare U, Gomare M, Keskar P, Das J, Pai M. Tuberculosis diagnosis and management in the public versus private sector: a standardised patients study in Mumbai, India. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:e009657. [PMID: 36261230 PMCID: PMC9582305 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-009657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are few rigorous studies comparing quality of tuberculosis (TB) care in public versus private sectors. METHODS We used standardised patients (SPs) to measure technical quality and patient experience in a sample of private and public facilities in Mumbai. RESULTS SPs presented a 'classic, suspected TB' scenario and a 'recurrence or drug-resistance' scenario. In the private sector, SPs completed 643 interactions. In the public sector, 164 interactions. Outcomes included indicators of correct management, medication use and client experience. Public providers used microbiological testing (typically, microscopy) more frequently, in 123 of 164 (75%; 95% CI 68% to 81%) vs 223 of 644 interactions (35%; 95% CI 31% to 38%) in the private sector. Private providers were more likely to order chest X-rays, in 556 of 639 interactions (86%; 95% CI 84% to 89%). According to national TB guidelines, we found higher proportions of correct management in the public sector (75% vs 35%; (adjusted) difference 35 percentage points (pp); 95% CI 25 to 46). If X-rays were considered acceptable for the first case but drug-susceptibility testing was required for the second case, the private sector correctly managed a slightly higher proportion of interactions (67% vs 51%; adjusted difference 16 pp; 95% CI 7 to 25). Broad-spectrum antibiotics were used in 76% (95% CI 66% to 84%) of the interactions in public hospitals, and 61% (95% CI 58% to 65%) in private facilities. Costs in the private clinics averaged rupees INR 512 (95% CI 485 to 539); public facilities charged INR 10. Private providers spent more time with patients (4.4 min vs 2.4 min; adjusted difference 2.0 min; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.9) and asked a greater share of relevant questions (29% vs 43%; adjusted difference 13.7 pp; 95% CI 8.2 to 19.3). CONCLUSIONS While the public providers did a better job of adhering to national TB guidelines (especially microbiological testing) and offered less expensive care, private sector providers did better on client experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Daniels
- McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Daksha Shah
- Public Health Department, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai, India
| | - Ada T Kwan
- School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ranendra Das
- Institute for Socio-Economic Research on Development and Democracy, Delhi, India
| | - Veena Das
- Department of Anthropology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Varsha Puri
- Public Health Department, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai, India
| | - Pranita Tipre
- Public Health Department, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai, India
| | - Upalimitra Waghmare
- Public Health Department, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai, India
| | - Mangala Gomare
- Public Health Department, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai, India
| | - Padmaja Keskar
- Public Health Department, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai, India
| | - Jishnu Das
- McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Madhukar Pai
- McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
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Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Primary Healthcare Services Worldwide: A Scoping Review. HEALTH SCOPE 2022. [DOI: 10.5812/jhealthscope-129176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: The public health system is currently facing a shortage of resources, and the demand for healthcare has increased, indicating the need to use the capacities of other sectors through public-private partnership (PPP) strategies to improve the quantity and quality of health services. Objectives: The purpose is to identify PPPs' role in providing primary healthcare worldwide. Methods: This study was conducted in 2020. The Arksey O’Malley framework was used, along with a systematic literature search on five databases, including Web of Science (ISI), Scopus, Pubmed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. Data were gathered from 2000 to 2020. Results: The findings presented in this study are reported based on 16 selected studies. The findings point to the positive impacts of cooperation between the public and private sectors in health care systems on matters of provision, coverage, and performance of services, as well as improvements in responsiveness to providers towards enhancing health referral systems. The provision of participatory services in countries varied according to their level of development, and further interactions between the government and the private sector resulted in better coverage and reduced inequality in service delivery. Conclusions: Public-private partnership is an effective way to achieve sustainable development goals. Public-private partnerships can be strengthened by integrating public and private sector facilities and aligning the interests and motivations of service providers with public health goals. Also, awareness of the plans and capacity of public and private sectors, along with conscious and mutual interaction, can strengthen health on a larger scale. Scientific approaches and correct participation can also relieve the part of governmental responsibilities to focus on more primary measures so that it can carry out its core tasks, including stewardship, policy-making, and supervision, with greater focus and power to facilitate the achievement of goals.
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Awor P, Kalyango JN, Stålsby Lundborg C, Ssengooba F, Eriksen J, Rutebemberwa E. Policy Challenges Facing the Scale Up of Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) in Uganda. Int J Health Policy Manag 2022; 11:1432-1441. [PMID: 34124867 PMCID: PMC9808347 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea is an equity focused strategy, to increase access to care for febrile illness in children under-5 years of age, in rural communities. Lay community members are trained to diagnose and treat malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea in children, and to identify and refer very ill children. Today, many low-income countries including Uganda, have a policy for iCCM which is being rolled out through public sector community health workers (CHWs). Ten years after the introduction of the iCCM strategy in Uganda, it is important to take stock and understand the barriers and facilitators affecting implementation of the iCCM policy. METHODS We conducted an iCCM policy analysis in order to identify the challenges, enablers and priorities for scale-up of the iCCM strategy in Uganda. This was a qualitative case study research which included a document review (n=52) and key informant interviews (n=15) with Ugandan stakeholders. Interviews were conducted in 2017 and the desk review included literature up to 2019. RESULTS This paper highlights the iCCM policy trajectory since 2010 in Uganda and includes a policy timeline. The iCCM policy process was mainly led by international agencies from inception, with little ownership of the government. Many implementation challenges including low government funding, weak coordination and contradicting policies were identified, which could contribute to the slow scale up of the iCCM program. Despite the challenges, many enablers and opportunities also exist within the health system, which should be further harnessed to scale up iCCM in Uganda. These enabling factors include strong community commitment, existing policy instruments and the potential of utilizing also the private sector for iCCM implementation. CONCLUSION The iCCM program in Uganda needs to be strengthen through increased domestic funding, strong coordination and a focus on monitoring, evaluation and operational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phyllis Awor
- School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joan Nakayaga Kalyango
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University Kampala, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University Kampala, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg
- Health Systems and Policy, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Freddie Ssengooba
- School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jaran Eriksen
- Health Systems and Policy, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Unit of Infectious Diseases/Venhälsan, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elizeus Rutebemberwa
- School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
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Wallace LJ, Agyepong I, Baral S, Barua D, Das M, Huque R, Joshi D, Mbachu C, Naznin B, Nonvignon J, Ofosu A, Onwujekwe O, Sharma S, Quayyum Z, Ensor T, Elsey H. The Role of the Private Sector in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences From Four Health Systems. Front Public Health 2022; 10:878225. [PMID: 35712320 PMCID: PMC9195628 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.878225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As societies urbanize, their populations have become increasingly dependent on the private sector for essential services. The way the private sector responds to health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic can determine the health and economic wellbeing of urban populations, an effect amplified for poorer communities. Here we present a qualitative document analysis of media reports and policy documents in four low resource settings-Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal, Nigeria-between January and September 2020. The review focuses on two questions: (i) Who are the private sector actors who have engaged in the COVID-19 first wave response and what was their role?; and (ii) How have national and sub-national governments engaged in, and with, the private sector response and what have been the effects of these engagements? Three main roles of the private sector were identified in the review. (1) Providing resources to support the public health response. (2) Mitigating the financial impact of the pandemic on individuals and businesses. (3) Adjustment of services delivered by the private sector, within and beyond the health sector, to respond to pandemic-related business challenges and opportunities. The findings suggest that a combination of public-private partnerships, contracting, and regulation have been used by governments to influence private sector involvement. Government strategies to engage the private sector developed quickly, reflecting the importance of private services to populations. However, implementation of regulatory responses, especially in the health sector, has often been weak reflecting the difficulty governments have in ensuring affordable, quality private services. Lessons for future pandemics and other health emergencies include the need to ensure that essential non-pandemic health services in the government and non-government sector can continue despite elevated risks, surge capacity to minimize shortages of vital public health supplies is available, and plans are in place to ensure private workplaces remain safe and livelihoods protected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J. Wallace
- Dodowa Health Research Centre, Research and Development Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
| | - Irene Agyepong
- Public Health Faculty, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Accra, Ghana
| | | | | | - Mahua Das
- Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Rumana Huque
- Department of Economics, University of Dhaka, and ARK Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Chinyere Mbachu
- Health Policy Research Group, The College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | - Baby Naznin
- Centre of Excellence for Urban Equity and Health, Brac James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Justice Nonvignon
- Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | | | - Obinna Onwujekwe
- Health Policy Research Group, The College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | | | - Zahidul Quayyum
- Centre of Excellence for Urban Equity and Health, Brac James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tim Ensor
- Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Elsey
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom
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Sanni F, Onoja A, Onoja S, Abu A. A comparative assessment of the level of stockouts of modern family planning services in private and public health facilities in Nigeria. MGM JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/mgmj.mgmj_87_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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16
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Suchman L, Owino E, Montagu D. Recognizing and mediating bureaucratic barriers: increasing access to care through small and medium-sized private providers in Kenya. Gates Open Res 2021; 5:95. [PMID: 34934905 PMCID: PMC8649627 DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.13313.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Equitable access to health services can be constrained in countries where private practitioners make up a large portion of primary care providers. Expanding purchasing arrangements has helped many countries integrate private providers into government-supported payment schemes, reducing financial barriers to care. However, private providers often must go through an onerous accreditation process to enroll in these schemes. The difficulties of this process are exacerbated where health policy is changed often and low-level bureaucrats must navigate these shifts at their own discretion. This paper analyzes one initiative to increase private provider accreditation with social health insurance (SHI) in Kenya by creating an intermediary between providers and “street-level” SHI bureaucrats. Methods: This paper draws on 126 semi-structured interviews about SHI accreditation experience with private providers who were members of a franchise network in Kenya. It also draws on four focus group discussions conducted with franchise representatives who provided accreditation support to the providers and served as liaisons between the franchised providers and local SHI offices. There was a total of 20 participants across all four focus groups. Results: In a governance environment where regulations are weak and impermanent, street-level bureaucrats often created an accreditation process that was inconsistent and opaque. Support from the implementing organizations increased communication between SHI officials and providers, which clarified rules and increased providers’ confidence in the system. The intermediaries also reduced bureaucrats’ ability to apply regulations at will and helped to standardize the accreditation process for both providers and bureaucrats. Conclusions: We conclude that intermediary organizations can mitigate institutional weaknesses and facilitate process efficiency. However, intermediaries only have a temporary role to play where there is potential to: 1) directly increase private providers’ power in a complex regulatory system; 2) reform the system itself to be more responsive to the limitations of on-the-ground implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Suchman
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Dominic Montagu
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Lattof SR, Maliqi B, Yaqub N, Jung AS. Private sector delivery of maternal and newborn health care in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e055600. [PMID: 34880027 PMCID: PMC8655548 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent studies have pointed to the substantial role of private health sector delivery of maternal and newborn health (MNH) care in low-/middle-income countries (LMICs). While this role has been partly documented, an evidence synthesis is missing. To analyse opportunities and challenges of private sector delivery of MNH care as they pertain to the new World Health Organization (WHO) strategy on engaging the private health service delivery sector through governance in mixed health systems, a more granular understanding of the private health sector's role and extent in MNH delivery is imperative. We developed a scoping review protocol to map and conceptualise interventions that were explicitly designed and implemented by formal private health sector providers to deliver MNH care in mixed health systems. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This protocol details our intended methodological and analytical approach following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews. Seven databases (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, Excerpta Medica Database, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, WHO Institutional Repository for Information Sharing) and two websites will be searched for studies published between 1 January 2002 and 1 June 2021. For inclusion, quantitative and/or qualitative studies in LMICs must report at least one of the following outcomes: maternal morbidity or mortality; newborn morbidity or mortality; experience of care; use of formal private sector care during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum; and stillbirth. Analyses will synthesise the evidence base and gaps on private sector MNH service delivery interventions for each of the six governance behaviours. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval is not required. Findings will be used to develop a menu of private sector interventions for MNH care by governance behaviour. This study will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, working groups, webinars and partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Lattof
- Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, World Health Organization, Geneve, Switzerland
| | - Blerta Maliqi
- Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, World Health Organization, Geneve, Switzerland
| | - Nuhu Yaqub
- Universal Health Coverage Life Course Cluster, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
| | - Anne-Sophie Jung
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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18
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Lamba G, Shroff ZC, Babar ZUD, Ghaffar A. Drug shops for stronger health systems: learning from initiatives in six LMICs. J Pharm Policy Pract 2021; 14:94. [PMID: 34784982 PMCID: PMC8594096 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-021-00374-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Private sector retail pharmacies, or drug shops, play an important role in access to essential medicines and services in low-and-middle-income countries. Recognising that they have the potential to contribute to health system strengthening efforts, many recent initiatives to engage with drug shops have been launched. These include initiatives that focus on changes in policy, regulation and training. However, the specific factors that influence their success remain poorly understood. Seven country case studies supported under the Alliance's programme of work 'Strengthening health systems: the role of drug shops' help to explore this issue. METHODS Country case studies from the above programme of research from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia were used as the main sources of data for this paper. A modified version of Bigdeli et al.'s Access to Medicines framework was applied within a partially grounded approach to analyze each country case study and compare themes between countries. RESULTS Many factors may help initiatives targeting drug shops successfully achieve their intended outcomes. At the micro level, these include community demand for drug shops and a positive relationship between drug shops and their clients. At the meso level, facilitators of initiative success include training and positive attitudes from drug shops towards the initiative. Barriers include client pressure, procurement challenges and financial and administrative costs associated with initiatives. At the macro level, collaboration between stakeholders, high-level buy in and supervision, monitoring and regulation may influence initiative success. These factors are inter-dependent and interact with each other in a dynamic way. CONCLUSIONS Using a framework approach, these country case studies demonstrate common factors that influence how drug shops can strengthen health systems. These learnings can help inform the design and implementation of successful strategies to engage drug shops towards sustainable systems change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geetanjali Lamba
- Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Zubin Cyrus Shroff
- Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice Research, Department of Pharmacy, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, UK
| | - Abdul Ghaffar
- Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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Suchman L, Owino E, Montagu D. Recognizing and mediating bureaucratic barriers: increasing access to care through small and medium-sized private providers in Kenya. Gates Open Res 2021; 5:95. [DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.13313.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Equitable access to health services can be constrained in countries where private practitioners make up a large portion of primary care providers. Expanding purchasing arrangements has helped many countries integrate private providers into government-supported payment schemes, reducing financial barriers to care. However, private providers often must go through an onerous accreditation process to enroll in these schemes. The difficulties of this process are exacerbated where health policy is changed often and low-level bureaucrats must navigate these shifts at their own discretion. This paper analyzes one initiative to increase private provider accreditation with social health insurance (SHI) in Kenya by creating an intermediary between providers and “street-level” SHI bureaucrats. Methods: This paper draws on 126 semi-structured interviews about SHI accreditation experience with private providers who were members of a franchise network in Kenya. It also draws on four focus group discussions conducted with franchise representatives who provided accreditation support to the providers and served as liaisons between the franchised providers and local SHI offices. There was a total of 20 participants across all four focus groups. Results: In a governance environment where regulations are weak and impermanent, street-level bureaucrats often created an accreditation process that was inconsistent and opaque. Support from the implementing organizations increased communication between SHI officials and providers, which clarified rules and increased providers’ confidence in the system. The intermediaries also reduced bureaucrats’ ability to apply regulations at will and helped to standardize the accreditation process for both providers and bureaucrats. Conclusions: We conclude that intermediary organizations can mitigate institutional weaknesses and facilitate process efficiency. However, intermediaries only have a temporary role to play where there is potential to: 1) directly increase private providers’ power in a complex regulatory system; 2) reform the system itself to be more responsive to the limitations of on-the-ground implementation.
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20
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King JJC, Powell-Jackson T, Makungu C, Spieker N, Risha P, Mkopi A, Goodman C. Effect of a multifaceted intervention to improve clinical quality of care through stepwise certification (SafeCare) in health-care facilities in Tanzania: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Lancet Glob Health 2021; 9:e1262-e1272. [PMID: 34363766 PMCID: PMC8370880 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(21)00228-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality of care is consistently shown to be inadequate in health-care settings in many low-income and middle-income countries, including in private facilities, which are rapidly growing in number but often do not have effective quality stewardship mechanisms. The SafeCare programme aims to address this gap in quality of care, using a standards-based approach adapted to low-resource settings, involving assessments, mentoring, training, and access to loans, to improve clinical quality and facility business performance. We assessed the effect of the SafeCare programme on quality of patient care in faith-based and private for-profit facilities in Tanzania. METHODS In this cluster-randomised controlled trial, health facilities were eligible if they were dispensaries, health centres, or hospitals in the faith-based or private for-profit sectors in Tanzania. We randomly assigned facilities (1:1) using computer-generated stratified randomisation to receive the full SafeCare package (intervention) or an assessment only (control). Implementing staff and participants were masked to outcome measurement and the primary outcomes were measured by fieldworkers who had no knowledge of the study group allocation. The primary outcomes were health worker compliance with infection prevention and control (IPC) practices as measured by observation of provider-patient interactions, and correct case management of undercover standardised patients at endline (after a minimum of 18 months). Analyses were by modified intention to treat. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN93644888. FINDINGS Between March 7 and Nov 30, 2016, we enrolled and randomly assigned 237 health facilities to the intervention (n=118) or control (n=119). Nine facilities (seven intervention facilities and two control facilities) closed during the trial and were not included in the analysis. We observed 29 608 IPC indications in 5425 provider-patient interactions between Feb 7 and April 5, 2018. Health facilities received visits from 909 standardised patients between May 3 and June 12, 2018. Intervention facilities had a 4·4 percentage point (95% CI 0·9-7·7; p=0.015) higher mean SafeCare standards assessment score at endline than control facilities. However, there was no evidence of a difference in clinical quality between intervention and control groups at endline. Compliance with IPC practices was observed in 8181 (56·9%) of 14 366 indications in intervention facilities and 8336 (54·7%) of 15 242 indications in control facilities (absolute difference 2·2 percentage points, 95% CI -0·2 to -4·7; p=0·071). Correct management occurred in 120 (27·0%) of 444 standardised patients in the intervention group and in 136 (29·2%) of 465 in the control group (absolute difference -2·8 percentage points, 95% CI -8·6 to -3·1; p=0·36). INTERPRETATION SafeCare did not improve clinical quality as assessed by compliance with IPC practices and correct case management. The absence of effect on clinical quality could reflect a combination of insufficient intervention intensity, insufficient links between structural quality and care processes, scarcity of resources for quality improvement, and inadequate financial and regulatory incentives for improvement. FUNDING UK Health Systems Research Initiative (Medical Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, UK Department for International Development, Global Challenges Research Fund, and Wellcome Trust).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Peter Risha
- PharmAccess Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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21
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Tougher S, Hanson K, Goodman CA. Does subsidizing the private for-profit sector benefit the poor? Evidence from national antimalarial subsidies in Nigeria and Uganda. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2021; 30:2510-2530. [PMID: 34291524 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Subsidising quality-assured artemisinin combination therapies (QAACTs) for distribution in the for-profit sector is a controversial strategy for improving access. The Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm) was the largest initiative of this kind. We assessed the equity of AMFm in two ways using nationally representative household survey data on care seeking for children from Nigeria and Uganda. First, the delivery of subsidized drugs through the for-profit sector via AMFm was compared with two alternative mechanisms: subsidized delivery in public health facilities and unsubsidized delivery in the for-profit sector. Second, we developed a novel extension of benefit incidence analysis (BIA) methods based on the concept of pass-through, and applied them to Uganda. In Nigeria, the use of subsidized QAACTs from both public health facilities and for-profit outlets was concentrated among the rich, while in Uganda, the use of QAACTs from both sources was concentrated among the poor. Similarly, the BIA of AMFm found that the intervention was pro-poor in Uganda. Unsubsidized antimalarials from for-profit outlets were distributed equally across wealth quintiles in both countries. Private sector subsidies may have a role in bolstering access to effective malaria treatments, including among the poor, but the equity impact of subsidies may depend on context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Tougher
- Department of Global Health & Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kara Hanson
- Department of Global Health & Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Catherine A Goodman
- Department of Global Health & Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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22
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King JJC, Powell-Jackson T, Makungu C, Hargreaves J, Goodman C. How much healthcare is wasted? A cross-sectional study of outpatient overprovision in private-for-profit and faith-based health facilities in Tanzania. Health Policy Plan 2021; 36:695-706. [PMID: 33851694 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Overprovision-healthcare whose harm exceeds its benefit-is of increasing concern in low- and middle-income countries, where the growth of the private-for-profit sector may amplify incentives for providing unnecessary care, and achieving universal health coverage will require efficient resource use. Measurement of overprovision has conceptual and practical challenges. We present a framework to conceptualize and measure overprovision, comparing for-profit and not-for-profit private outpatient facilities across 18 of mainland Tanzania's 22 regions. We developed a novel conceptualization of three harms of overprovision: economic (waste of resources), public health (unnecessary use of antimicrobial agents risking development of resistant organisms) and clinical (high risk of harm to individual patients). Standardized patients (SPs) visited 227 health facilities (99 for-profit and 128 not-for-profit) between May 3 and June 12, 2018, completing 909 visits and presenting 4 cases: asthma, non-malarial febrile illness, tuberculosis and upper respiratory tract infection. Tests and treatments prescribed were categorized as necessary or unnecessary, and unnecessary care was classified by type of harm(s). Fifty-three percent of 1995 drugs prescribed and 43% of 891 tests ordered were unnecessary. At the patient-visit level, 81% of SPs received unnecessary care, 67% received care harmful to public health (prescription of unnecessary antibiotics or antimalarials) and 6% received clinically harmful care. Thirteen percent of SPs were prescribed an antibiotic defined by WHO as 'Watch' (high priority for antimicrobial stewardship). Although overprovision was common in all sectors and geographical regions, clinically harmful care was more likely in for-profit than faith-based facilities and less common in urban than rural areas. Overprovision was widespread in both for-profit and not-for-profit facilities, suggesting considerable waste in the private sector, not solely driven by profit. Unnecessary antibiotic or antimalarial prescriptions are of concern for the development of antimicrobial resistance. Option for policymakers to address overprovision includes the use of strategic purchasing arrangements, provider training and patient education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J C King
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Timothy Powell-Jackson
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Christina Makungu
- Health Systems Research Group, Ifakara Health Institute, Plot 463, Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni, P.O. Box 78 373, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - James Hargreaves
- Department of Public Health and Environments, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, UK
| | - Catherine Goodman
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK
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Grépin KA, Irwin BR, Sas Trakinsky B. On the Measurement of Financial Protection: An Assessment of the Usefulness of the Catastrophic Health Expenditure Indicator to Monitor Progress Towards Universal Health Coverage. Health Syst Reform 2021; 6:e1744988. [PMID: 33416439 DOI: 10.1080/23288604.2020.1744988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ensuring financial protection (FP) against health expenditures is a key component of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.8, which aims to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). While the proportion of households with catastrophic health expenditures exceeding a proportion of their total income or consumption has been adopted as the official SDG indicator, other approaches exist and it is unclear how useful the official indicator is in tracking progress toward the FP sub-target across countries and across time. This paper evaluates the usefulness of the official SDG indicator to measure FP using the RACER framework and discusses how alternative indicators may improve upon the limitations of the official SDG indicator for global monitoring purposes. We find that while all FP indicators have some disadvantages, the official SDG indicator has some properties that severely limit its usefulness for global monitoring purposes. We recommend more research to understand how alternative indicators may enhance global monitoring, as well as improvements to the quality and quantity of underlying data to construct FP indicators in order to improve efforts to monitor progress toward UHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Grépin
- Department of Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University , Waterloo, Canada
| | - Bridget R Irwin
- Department of Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University , Waterloo, Canada
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Sheahan KL, Speizer IS, Orgill-Meyer J, Curtis S, Weinberger M, Paul J, Bennett AV. Facility-level characteristics associated with family planning and child immunization services integration in urban areas of Nigeria: a longitudinal analysis. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1379. [PMID: 34247607 PMCID: PMC8274034 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11436-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Unmet need for postpartum contraception is high. Integration of family planning with routine child immunization services may help to satisfy unmet need. However, evidence about the determinants and effects of integration has been inconsistent, and more evidence is required to ascertain whether and how to invest in integration. In this study, facility-level family planning and immunization integration index scores are used to: (1) determine whether integration changes over time and (2) identify whether facility-level characteristics, including exposure to the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), are associated with integration across facilities in six urban areas of Nigeria. Methods This study utilizes health facility data collected at baseline (n = 400) and endline (n = 385) for the NURHI impact evaluation. Difference-in-differences models estimate the associations between facility-level characteristics, including exposure to NURHI, and Provider and Facility Integration Index scores. The two outcome measures, Provider and Facility Integration Index scores, reflect attributes that support integrated service delivery. These indexes, which range from 0 (low) to 10 (high), were constructed using principal component analysis. Scores were calculated for each facility. Independent variables are (1) time period, (2) whether the facility received the NURHI intervention, and (3) additional facility-level characteristics. Results Within intervention facilities, mean Provider Integration Index scores were 6.46 at baseline and 6.79 at endline; mean Facility Integration Index scores were 7.16 (baseline) and 7.36 (endline). Within non-intervention facilities, mean Provider Integration Index scores were 5.01 at baseline and 6.25 at endline; mean Facility Integration Index scores were 5.83 (baseline) and 6.12 (endline). Provider Integration Index scores increased significantly (p = 0.00) among non-intervention facilities. Facility Integration Index scores did not increase significantly in either group. Results identify facility-level characteristics associated with higher levels of integration, including smaller family planning client load, family planning training among providers, and public facility ownership. Exposure to NURHI was not associated with integration index scores. Conclusion Programs aiming to increase integration of family planning and immunization services should monitor and provide targeted support for the implementation of a well-defined integration strategy that considers the influence of facility characteristics and concurrent initiatives. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11436-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate L Sheahan
- Supported by the Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), (CIN 13-410) at the Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, USA.
| | - Ilene S Speizer
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Jennifer Orgill-Meyer
- Department of Government and Public Health, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, USA
| | - Siân Curtis
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Morris Weinberger
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - John Paul
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Antonia V Bennett
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
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Suchman L, Montagu D. Recognizing and mediating bureaucratic barriers: increasing access to care through small private providers in Kenya. Gates Open Res 2021; 5:95. [DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.13313.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Equitable access to health services can be constrained in countries where private practitioners make up a large portion of primary care providers, making affordability a challenge. Expanding purchasing arrangements in many countries has helped integrate private providers into government-supported payment schemes and reduced financial barriers to care. However, private providers often must go through an onerous accreditation process to enroll in government-supported financing arrangements. The difficulties of this process can be exacerbated where health policy is changed often and low-level bureaucrats must navigate these shifts at their own discretion, effectively re-interpreting or re-making policy in practice. This paper analyzes one initiative to increase private provider accreditation with social health insurance (SHI) in Kenya by creating an intermediary between providers and SHI officials. Methods: This paper draws on 126 semi-structured interviews about SHI accreditation experience with private providers who were members of a franchise network in Kenya. It also draws on four focus group discussions conducted with franchise representatives who provided accreditation support to the providers and served as liaisons between the franchised providers and local SHI offices. There was a total of 20 participants across all four focus groups. Results: In a regulatory environment where regulations are weak and impermanent, officials created an accreditation process that was inconsistent and opaque: applying rules unevenly, requesting bribes, and minimizing communication with providers. The support provided by the implementing organizations clarified rules, reduced the power of local bureaucrats to apply regulations at their own discretion, gave providers greater confidence in the system, and helped to standardize the accreditation process. Conclusions: We conclude that intermediary organizations can mitigate institutional weaknesses, reduce barriers to effective care expansion caused by street-level bureaucrats, and facilitate the adoption of systems which reduce rent-seeking practices that might otherwise delay or derail initiatives to reach universal health coverage.
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Montagu D, Chakraborty N. Standard Survey Data: Insights Into Private Sector Utilization. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:624285. [PMID: 33912574 PMCID: PMC8071997 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.624285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Universal Health Coverage in Low- and Middle-Income Countries is increasingly expanding through incorporation of private clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals into an overall health system funded in whole or part through government-managed health insurance. This underscores the importance of policies on health provision which apply across the whole delivery system regardless of ownership status. To advance understanding of private-sector policies, and to facilitate sharing of lessons across countries with similar public-private distributions, we have analyzed data on the source of inpatient and outpatient care from 65 countries. While past studies have conducted similar analysis, ours advances the field in two ways. First, we limit our analysis to data sets from 2010 through 2019, making our study more up-to-date than past studies, while changing health seeking patterns for maternal health since 2010 means that our data set is more representative of overall inpatient care. Second, while past multi-country analysis of public-private ownership have been based on the Demographic Health Surveys, we have added to this data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, significantly increasing the countries in our analysis. We have aggregated our analysis by WHO's regions. Outside of the EURO region, where the private sector delivers just 4% of all healthcare services, the private sector remains significant, and in many countries represents more than half of all care. The private sector provides nearly 40% of all healthcare in PAHO, AFRO, and WPRO regions, 57% in SEARO, and 62% in EMRO. While specific countries with two recent surveys show variation in the scale of both inpatient and outpatient private provision, we did not find regional or global trends toward or away from private care within LMICs. Private inpatient care is most important for the wealthy in many countries; public vs. private care varies less, by wealth, for outpatient services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Montagu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Metrics for Management, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Braimoh T, Danat I, Abubakar M, Ajeroh O, Stanley M, Wiwa O, Prescott MR, Lam F. Private health care market shaping and changes in inequities in childhood diarrhoea treatment coverage: evidence from the analysis of baseline and endline surveys of an ORS and zinc scale-up program in Nigeria. Int J Equity Health 2021; 20:88. [PMID: 33789694 PMCID: PMC8011378 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-021-01425-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nearly 90,000 under-five children die from diarrhoea annually in Nigeria. Over 90% of the deaths can be prevented with oral rehydration salt (ORS) and zinc treatment but coverage nationally was less than 34% for ORS and 3% for zinc with wide inequities. A program was implemented in eight states to address critical barriers to the optimal functioning of the health care market to deliver these treatments. In this study, we examine changes in the inequities of coverage of ORS and zinc over the intervention period. METHODS Baseline and endline household surveys were used to measure ORS and zinc coverage and household assets. Principal component analysis was used to construct wealth quintiles. We used multi-level logistic regression models to estimate predictive coverage of ORS and zinc by wealth and urbanicity at each survey period. Simple measures of disparity and concentration indices and curves were used to evaluate changes in ORS and zinc coverage inequities. RESULTS At baseline, 28% (95% CI: 22-35%) of children with diarrhoea from the poorest wealth quintile received ORS compared to 50% (95% CI: 52-58%) from the richest. This inequality reduced at endline as ORS coverage increased by 21%-points (P < 0.001) for the poorest and 17%-points (P < 0.001) for the richest. Zinc coverage increased significantly for both quintiles at endline from an equally low baseline coverage level. Consistent with the findings of the pairwise comparison of the poorest and the richest, the summary measure of disparity across all wealth quintiles showed a narrowing of inequities from baseline to endline. Concentration curves shifted towards equality for both treatments, concentration indices declined from 0.1012 to 0.0480 for ORS and from 0.2640 to 0.0567 for zinc. Disparities in ORS and zinc coverage between rural and urban at both time points was insignificant except that the use of zinc in the rural at endline was significantly higher at 38% (95%CI: 35-41%) compared to 29% (95%CI, 25-33%) in the urban. CONCLUSION The results show a pro-rural improvement in coverage and a reduction in coverage inequities across wealth quintiles from baseline to endline. This gives an indication that initiatives focused on shaping healthcare market systems may be effective in reducing health coverage gaps without detracting from equity as a health policy objective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiwadayo Braimoh
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, No. 62, KG5 Avenue, Kacyiru, Kigali, Rwanda.
| | - Isaac Danat
- Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK
| | | | | | | | - Owens Wiwa
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria
| | | | - Felix Lam
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA
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Montagu D. The Provision of Private Healthcare Services in European Countries: Recent Data and Lessons for Universal Health Coverage in Other Settings. Front Public Health 2021; 9:636750. [PMID: 33791271 PMCID: PMC8005513 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.636750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) exists in all of the countries of Europe, despite variation on the ownership structure of health delivery systems. As countries around the world seek to advance UHC and manage the private sector within their health systems, the European experiences can offer useful insights. We found four different models for the provision of healthcare, with the private sector predominant in some countries, and of minimal importance in others. The European experiences indicate that UHC can be effectively provided with, or without, large-scale private sector provision in hospital, specialty, and primary care services, and that moreover it can be provided with high levels of patient satisfaction. These findings offer regulatory models for countries in other regions to review as they advance UHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Montagu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Metrics for Management, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Lokman L, Chahine T. Business models for primary health care delivery in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping study of nine social entrepreneurs. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:211. [PMID: 33750372 PMCID: PMC7941720 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06225-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Social enterprises are organizations created to address social problems that use business models to sustain themselves financially. Social enterprises can help increase access to primary health care in low resource settings. Research on social enterprises in health care have focused either on high-income countries, or on secondary and tertiary care in low- and middle-income countries, where common business models include differential pricing to cross-subsidize low income populations. This is the first study to examine social enterprises providing primary health care in low- and middle-income countries using primary data. The purpose is to determine whether social enterprise is a viable model in this setting and to identify common patterns and characteristics that could inform the work of social entrepreneurs, funders, and researchers in this area. Methods We identify social entrepreneurs working to deliver primary health care in low- and middle-income countries who have been vetted by international organizations dedicated to supporting social entrepreneurship. Through in-depth interviews, we collect information on medical processes, business processes, social impact, and organizational impact according to the Battacharyya et al. framework. We then conducted qualitative analysis to identify common patterns emerging within these four categories. Results Common characteristics in the business models of primary health care social enterprises include flat rate rather than differential pricing and cross-subsidizing across services rather than patients. Subscription packages and in-house IT systems were utilized to generate revenue and increase reach through telemedicine, franchising, and mobile units. In some cases, alternate revenue streams are employed to help break even. About half of the social enterprises interviewed were for-profit, and about half non-profit. The majority faced challenges in engaging with the public sector. This is still a nascent field, with most organizations being under 10 years old. Conclusions Social enterprise has been demonstrated as a feasible model for providing primary health care in low resource settings, with key characteristics differing from the previously commonly studied social enterprises in tertiary care. There are opportunities to complement existing public health systems, but most organizations face challenges in doing so. More research and attention is needed by researchers, governments and funders to support social entrepreneurs and avoid parallel systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutfi Lokman
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
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David Williams O, Yung KC, Grépin KA. The failure of private health services: COVID-19 induced crises in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) health systems. Glob Public Health 2021; 16:1320-1333. [PMID: 33471633 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2021.1874470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
For decades, governments and development partners promoted neoliberal policies in the health sector in many LMICs, largely motivated by the belief that governments in these countries were too weak to provide all the health services necessary to meet population needs. Private health markets became the governance and policy solution to improve the delivery of health services which allowed embedded forms of market failure to persist in these countries and which were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we analyse the manifestations of these market failures using data from an assembled database of COVID-19 related news items sourced from the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone. Specifically, we identify how pre-existing market failure and failures of redistribution have led to the rise of three urgent crises in LMICs: a financial and liquidity crisis among private providers, a crisis of service provision and pricing, and an attendant crisis in state-provider relations. The COVID-19 pandemic has therfore exposed important failures of the public-private models of health systems and provides an opportunity to rethink the future orientation of national health systems and commitments towards Universal Health Coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ka Chun Yung
- School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong
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Adhikari RP, Shrestha ML, Satinsky EN, Upadhaya N. Trends in and determinants of visiting private health facilities for maternal and child health care in Nepal: comparison of three Nepal demographic health surveys, 2006, 2011, and 2016. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2021; 21:1. [PMID: 33388035 PMCID: PMC7778799 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-020-03485-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal and child health care services are available in both public and private facilities in Nepal. Studies have not yet looked at trends in maternal and child health service use over time in Nepal. This paper assesses trends in and determinants of visiting private health facilities for maternal and child health needs using nationally representative data from the last three successive Nepal Demographic Health Surveys (NDHS). METHODS Data from the NDHS conducted in 2006, 2011, and 2016 were used. Maternal and child health-seeking was established using data on place of antenatal care (ANC), place of delivery, and place of treatment for child diarrhoea and fever/cough. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify trends in and determinants of health-seeking at private facilities. RESULTS The results indicate an increase in the use of private facilities for maternal and child health care over time. Across the three survey waves, women from the highest wealth quintile had the highest odds of accessing ANC services at private health facilities (AOR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.53, 5.91 in 2006; AOR = 5.6, 95% CI = 3.51, 8.81 in 2011; AOR = 6.0, 95% CI = 3.78, 9.52 in 2016). Women from the highest wealth quintile (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.54, 7.09 in 2006; AOR = 7.3, 95% CI = 3.91, 13.54 in 2011; AOR = 8.3, 95% CI = 3.97, 17.42 in 2016) and women with more years of schooling (AOR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.17, 1.27 in 2006; AOR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.14 in 2011; AOR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.16 in 2016) were more likely to deliver in private health facilities. Likewise, children belonging to the highest wealth quintile (AOR = 8.0, 95% CI = 2.43, 26.54 in 2006; AOR = 6.4, 95% CI = 1.59, 25.85 in 2016) were more likely to receive diarrhoea treatment in private health facilities. CONCLUSIONS Women are increasingly visiting private health facilities for maternal and child health care in Nepal. Household wealth quintile and more years of schooling were the major determinants for selecting private health facilities for these services. These trends indicate the importance of collaboration between private and public health facilities in Nepal to foster a public private partnership approach in the Nepalese health care sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh Prasad Adhikari
- Suaahara II, Helen Keller International Nepal, Lalitpur, Nepal
- Padma Kanya Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | - Emily N. Satinsky
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Nawaraj Upadhaya
- Department of Research and Development, HealthNet TPO, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Namakula J, Fustukian S, McPake B, Ssengooba F. 'They say we are money minded' exploring experiences of formal private for-profit health providers towards contribution to pro-poor access in post conflict Northern Uganda. Glob Health Action 2021; 14:1890929. [PMID: 33983106 PMCID: PMC8128188 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2021.1890929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The perception within literature and populace is that the private for-profit sector is for the rich only, and this characteristic results in behaviours that hinder advancement of Universal health coverage (UHC) goals. The context of Northern Uganda presents an opportunity for understanding how the private sector continues to thrive in settings with high poverty levels and history of conflict.Objective: The study aimed at understanding access mechanisms employed by the formal private for-profit providers (FPFPs) to enable pro-poor access to health services in post conflict Northern Uganda.Methods: Data collection was conducted in Gulu municipality in 2015 using Organisational survey of 45 registered formal private for-profit providers (FPFPs),10 life histories, and 13 key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics were generated for the quantitative findings whereas qualitative findings were analysed thematically.Results: FPFPs pragmatically employed various access mechanisms and these included fee exemptions and provision of free services, fee reductions, use of loan books, breaking down doses and partial payments. Most mechanisms were preceded by managers' subjective identification of the poor, while operationalisation heavily depended on the managers' availability and trust between the provider and the customer. For a few FPFPs, partnerships with Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government enabled provision of free, albeit mainly preventive services, including immunisation, consultations, screening for blood pressure and family planning. Challenges such as quality issues, information asymmetry and standardisation of charges arose during implementation of the mechanisms.Conclusion: The identification of the poor by the FPFPs was subjective and unsystematic. FPFPs implemented various innovations to ensure pro-poor access to health services. However, they face a continuous dilemma of balancing the profit maximization and altruism objectives. Implementation of some pro-poor mechanisms raises concerns included those related to quality and standardisation of pricing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Namakula
- Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Suzanne Fustukian
- Department of Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Barbara McPake
- Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Freddie Ssengooba
- Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
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Sas Trakinsky B, Irwin BR, Guéné HJL, Grépin KA. An empirical evaluation of the performance of financial protection indicators for UHC monitoring: Evidence from Burkina Faso. HEALTH POLICY OPEN 2020; 1:100001. [PMID: 37383309 PMCID: PMC10297743 DOI: 10.1016/j.hpopen.2019.100001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has been recognized as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and includes both ensuring access to health services and providing financial protection (FP) against using these services. Currently, progress towards achieving the FP component of UHC is assessed using the catastrophic health expenditure budget share indicator, which estimates the proportion of the population with health expenditures exceeding 10% of total income or consumption. Other indicators exist, however, and are widely used in the literature, yet few studies have compared the usefulness of these indicators for UHC monitoring. Using panel data from Burkina Faso, this paper seeks to evaluate the performance of common FP indicators based on three properties: (1) their ability to identify those most at risk of financial hardship (i.e. the poor), (2) their ability to detect households with health shocks, and (3) their sensitivity to seasonal variation. Our results indicate that, while some indicators perform better in certain conditions than others, none are without limitation. Indeed, despite being the best able to differentiate households who have experienced a health shock, the official SDG indicator performs the worst at identifying the poorest group of the population and is the most sensitive to seasonal variation. As such, more research is needed in order to improve the measurement of FP such that progress towards achieving UHC can be accurately monitored.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hervé J.-L. Guéné
- Institut National de la Statistique et de la Démographie, Burkina Faso
| | - Karen A. Grépin
- Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
- The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Wilhelm JA, Paina L, Qiu M, Zakumumpa H, Bennett S. The differential impacts of PEPFAR transition on private for-profit, private not-for-profit and publicly owned health facilities in Uganda. Health Policy Plan 2020; 35:133-141. [PMID: 31713608 PMCID: PMC7050684 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czz090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
While transition of donor programs to national control is increasingly common, there is a lack of evidence about the consequences of transition for private health care providers. In 2015, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) identified 734 facilities in Uganda for transition from PEPFAR support, including 137 private not-for-profits (PNFP) and 140 private for-profits (PFPs). We sought to understand the differential impacts of transition on facilities with differing ownership statuses. We used a survey conducted in mid-2017 among 145 public, 29 PNFP and 32 PFP facilities reporting transition from PEPFAR. The survey collected information on current and prior PEPFAR support, service provision, laboratory services and staff time allocation. We used both bivariate and logistic regression to analyse the association between ownership and survey responses. All analyses adjust for survey design. Public facilities were more likely to report increased disruption of sputum microscopy tests following transition than PFPs [odds ratio (OR) = 5.85, 1.79–19.23, P = 0.005]. Compared with public facilities, PNFPs were more likely to report declining frequency of supervision for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) since transition (OR = 2.27, 1.136–4.518, P = 0.022). Workers in PFP facilities were more likely to report reduced time spent on HIV care since transition (OR = 6.241, 2.709–14.38, P < 0.001), and PFP facilities were also more likely to discontinue HIV outreach following transition (OR = 3.029, 1.325–6.925; P = 0.011). PNFP facilities’ loss of supervision may require that public sector supervision be extended to them. Reduced HIV clinical care in PFPs, primarily HIV testing and counselling, increases burdens on public facilities. Prior PFP clients who preferred the confidentiality and service of private facilities may opt to forgo HIV testing altogether. Donors and governments should consider the roles and responses of PNFPs and PFPs when transitioning donor-funded health programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess Alan Wilhelm
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ligia Paina
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Mary Qiu
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Henry Zakumumpa
- Department of Health Policy and Administration, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sara Bennett
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Lai SL, Tey NP, Mahmud A, Ismail N. Utilization of Private Sector Family Planning Services in Malaysia. INTERNATIONAL QUARTERLY OF COMMUNITY HEALTH EDUCATION 2020; 41:395-403. [PMID: 33167794 DOI: 10.1177/0272684x20972864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The private sector is playing an increasingly important role in family planning services globally. The active participation of private providers is associated with a higher contraceptive prevalence rate. OBJECTIVES To examine the differentials and determinants of the utilization of private providers for family planning services. METHOD This study used the 2014 Malaysian Population and Family Survey data. Cross-tabulations and logistic regression were performed on 1,817 current users of modern methods. RESULTS Overall, 26% of modern method users obtained their supplies from private clinics/pharmacies and 15.2% from other sources, such as drug stores and sundry shops. The odds of utilizing the private sector for family planning services differ significantly across regions and socio-economic groups. The odds of obtaining supply from the private clinics/pharmacies were higher among the Chinese and urban women (AOR > 1), and it was lower among those from the eastern region (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.30-0.73). Non-Bumiputera, urban, higher educated, and working women, and those whose husbands decided on family planning had higher odds of obtaining the supply from the other sources (AOR > 1). CONCLUSION The private sector complements and supplements the public sector in providing family planning services to the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siow Li Lai
- Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nai Peng Tey
- Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Adzmel Mahmud
- Population and Family Research Division, National Population and Family Development Board, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Najihah Ismail
- Population and Family Research Division, National Population and Family Development Board, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Khim K, Goldman LN, Shaw K, Markuns JF, Saphonn V. Assessment of dual practice among physicians in Cambodia. HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH 2020; 18:18. [PMID: 32164727 PMCID: PMC7068863 DOI: 10.1186/s12960-020-0461-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dual practice and multiple job holding are widespread among health workers throughout the world. Although dual practice can help the financially strained public sector retain skilled workers, there are also potential negative consequences if it is not regulated. In Cambodia, there is substantial anecdotal evidence of dual practice among physicians but there is very little data on the extent and prevalence of the practice. This study was conducted by the University of Health Sciences (UHS) to gain insight in to the employment practices of UHS alumni. Results from this survey may help to inform policymakers in rational planning for future health system development related to capacity building and regulation of human resources for health. METHODS Data were collected from a self-administered survey of UHS graduates who graduated between 1999 and 2012. A total of 162 medical graduates were randomly sampled from a total of 1867 medical graduates between 1999 and 2012. Contacted individuals were asked to complete a written structured questionnaire regarding demographic characteristics, current employment and types of employment, compensation, and job satisfaction. The response rate of graduates sampled was 49% (79 completed questionnaires). The low response rate was primarily due to the difficulty in locating individuals. RESULTS Of 79 respondents, 96% were currently employed at the time of the survey. However, only 63 of the respondents (80%) were working in the healthcare sector. The 16 respondents (20%) not working in healthcare were excluded from further analyses since they are not relevant to dual practice analysis. The vast majority (87%) of respondents are public sector employees (61.9% in public sector only and 25.4% in both public and private sector). 12.7% of respondents only work in the private sector. Almost half (47.6%) of respondents hold more than one job. For income satisfaction, physicians employed in both sectors have higher satisfaction than physicians employed in the public sector only. CONCLUSIONS As policymakers in Cambodia consider new approaches to regulation of the practice, it is important to know the context of the practice, the benefits to the healthcare system, and the costs. Recognizing the high prevalence of multiple job holding in Cambodia, as evidenced in our survey of UHS medical graduates, contributes to the discussion as important information that can be used toward meaningful reform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keovathanak Khim
- University of Health Sciences (UHS), 73, Monivong Blvd., Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Laura N. Goldman
- Boston University, 85 East Newton St., Office 1020, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Kristin Shaw
- Boston University, 85 East Newton St., Office 1020, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Jeffrey F. Markuns
- Boston University, 85 East Newton St., Office 1020, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Vonthanak Saphonn
- University of Health Sciences (UHS), 73, Monivong Blvd., Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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Moucheraud C, Hing M, Seleman J, Phiri K, Chibwana F, Kahn D, Schooley A, Moses A, Hoffman R. Integrated care experiences and out-of-pocket expenditures: a cross-sectional survey of adults receiving treatment for HIV and hypertension in Malawi. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e032652. [PMID: 32051306 PMCID: PMC7044935 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES As HIV-positive individuals' life expectancy extends, there is an urgent need to manage other chronic conditions during HIV care. We assessed the care-seeking experiences and costs of adults receiving treatment for both HIV and hypertension in Malawi. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional survey was conducted with HIV-positive adults with hypertension at a health facility in Lilongwe that offers free HIV care and free hypertension screening, with antihypertensives available for purchase (n=199). Questions included locations and costs of all medication refills and preferences for these refill locations. Respondents were classified as using 'integrated care' if they refilled HIV and antihypertensive medications simultaneously. Data were collected between June and December 2017. RESULTS Only half of respondents reported using the integrated care offered at the study site. Among individuals using different locations for antihypertensive medication refills, the most frequent locations were drug stores and public sector health facilities which were commonly selected due to greater convenience and lower medication costs. Although the number of antihypertensive medications was equivalent between the integrated and non-integrated care groups, the annual total cost of care differed substantially (approximately US$21 in integrated care vs US$90 for non-integrated care)-mainly attributable to differences in other visit costs for non-integrated care (transportation, lost wages, childcare). One-third of those in the non-integrated care group reported no expenditure for antihypertensive medication, and six people in each group reported no annual hypertension care-seeking costs at all. CONCLUSIONS Individuals using integrated care saw efficiencies because, although they were more likely to pay for antihypertensive medications, they did not incur additional costs. These results suggest that preferences and experiences must be better understood to design effective policies and programmes for integrated care among adults on antiretroviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrina Moucheraud
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Matthew Hing
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Daniel Kahn
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alan Schooley
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Partners in Hope, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | | | - Risa Hoffman
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Nabyonga-Orem J, Nabukalu JB, Okuonzi SA. Partnership with private for-profit sector for universal health coverage in sub-Saharan Africa: opportunities and caveats. BMJ Glob Health 2019; 4:e001193. [PMID: 31673435 PMCID: PMC6797365 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Juliet Nabyonga-Orem
- Health systems and services cluster, WHO Inter-country support team for East and Southern Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe
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Guo S, Carvajal-Aguirre L, Victora CG, Barros AJD, Wehrmeister FC, Vidaletti LP, Gupta G, Matin MZ, Rutter P. Equitable coverage? The roles of the private and public sectors in providing maternal, newborn and child health interventions in South Asia. BMJ Glob Health 2019; 4:e001495. [PMID: 31543985 PMCID: PMC6730586 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The private sector accounts for an important share of health services available in South Asia. It is not known to what extent socioeconomic and urban–rural inequalities in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) interventions are being affected by the presence of private providers. Methods Nationally representative surveys carried out from 2009 to 2015 were analysed for seven of the eight countries in South Asia, as data for Sri Lanka were not available. The outcomes studied included antenatal care (four or more visits), institutional delivery, early initiation of breast feeding, postnatal care for babies, and careseeking for diarrhoea and pneumonia. Results were stratified according to quintiles of household wealth and urban–rural residence. Results At regional level, the public sector played a larger role than the private sector in providing antenatal (24.8% vs 15.6% coverage), delivery (51.9% vs 26.8%) and postnatal care (15.7% vs 8.2%), as well as in the early initiation of breast feeding (26.1% vs 11.1%). The reverse was observed in careseeking for diarrhoea (15.0% and 46.2%) and pneumonia (18.2% and 50.5%). In 28 out of 37 possible analyses of coverage by country, socioeconomic inequalities were significantly wider in the private than in the public sector, and in only four cases the reverse pattern was observed. In 20 of the 37 analyses, the public sector was also more likely to be used by the wealthiest women and children. Conclusion The private sector plays a substantial role in delivering MNCH interventions in South Asia but is more inequitable than the public sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufang Guo
- UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | - Cesar G Victora
- International Center for Equity in Health, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Aluisio J D Barros
- International Center for Equity in Health, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Fernando C Wehrmeister
- International Center for Equity in Health, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Luis Paulo Vidaletti
- International Center for Equity in Health, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Gagan Gupta
- UNICEF India, United Nations Childrens Fund, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Paul Rutter
- UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal
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Awor P, Peterson S, Gautham M. Delivering child health interventions through the private sector in low and middle income countries: challenges, opportunities, and potential next steps. BMJ 2018; 362:k2950. [PMID: 30061154 PMCID: PMC6063308 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.k2950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Universal health coverage requires both the public and private sectors to ensure quality, equity, and efficiency in health systems, say Phyllis Awor and colleagues
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Affiliation(s)
- Phyllis Awor
- Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Stefan Peterson
- Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
- Uppsala University, Sweden
- Unicef, New York, USA
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Chakraborty NM, Sprockett A. Use of family planning and child health services in the private sector: an equity analysis of 12 DHS surveys. Int J Equity Health 2018; 17:50. [PMID: 29690902 PMCID: PMC5916835 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-018-0763-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A key component of universal health coverage is the ability to access quality healthcare without financial hardship. Poorer individuals are less likely to receive care than wealthier individuals, leading to important differences in health outcomes, and a needed focus on equity. To improve access to healthcare while minimizing financial hardships or inequitable service delivery we need to understand where individuals of different wealth seek care. To ensure progress toward SDG 3, we need to specifically understand where individuals seek reproductive, maternal, and child health services. Methods We analyzed Demographic and Health Survey data from Bangladesh, Cambodia, DRC, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia. We conducted weighted descriptive analyses on current users of modern FP and the youngest household child under age 5 to understand and compare country-specific care seeking patterns in use of public or private facilities based on urban/rural residence and wealth quintile. Results Modern contraceptive prevalence rate ranged from 8.1% to 52.6% across countries, generally rising with increasing wealth within countries. For relatively wealthy women in all countries except Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Zambia, the private sector was the dominant source. Source of FP and type of method sought across facilities types differed widely across countries. Across all countries women were more likely to use the public sector for permanent and long-acting reversible contraceptive methods. Wealthier women demonstrated greater use of the private sector for FP services than poorer women. Overall prevalence rates for diarrhea and fever/ARI were similar, and generally not associated with wealth. The majority of sick children in Haiti did not seek treatment for either diarrhea or fever/ARI, while over 40% of children with cough or fever did not seek treatment in DRC, Haiti, Mali, and Senegal. Of all children who sought care for diarrhea, more than half visited the public sector and just over 30% visited the private sector; differences are more pronounced in the lower wealth quintiles. Conclusions Use of the private sector varies widely by reason for visit, country and wealth status. Given these differences, country-specific examination of the role of the private sector furthers our understanding of its utility in expanding access to services across wealth quintiles and providing equitable care. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12939-018-0763-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Sprockett
- Metrics for Management, 1330 Broadway, Suite 1135, Oakland, CA, 94612, USA
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Mohanan M, Babiarz KS, Goldhaber-Fiebert JD, Miller G, Vera-Hernández M. Effect Of A Large-Scale Social Franchising And Telemedicine Program On Childhood Diarrhea And Pneumonia Outcomes In India. Health Aff (Millwood) 2016; 35:1800-1809. [DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Mohanan
- Manoj Mohanan is an assistant professor of public policy and economics in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, an assistant research professor at the Duke Global Health Institute, and faculty research scholar at the Duke Population Research Institute, all in Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kimberly S. Babiarz
- Kimberly S. Babiarz is a research associate in the Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research (CHP/PCOR), School of Medicine, at Stanford University, in California
| | | | - Grant Miller
- Grant Miller is an associate professor at the School of Medicine, Stanford University; director of the Stanford Center for International Development; senior fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; senior fellow, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research; and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, in Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Marcos Vera-Hernández
- Marcos Vera-Hernández is a reader in economics at University College London and a research fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, both in the United Kingdom
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