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PubMedDate not supplied

[Local health systems, strategy for the consolidation of the national health system in Costa Rica].

Costa Rica has a notable record in the field of health care and in the implementation and development of local health systems. The Ministry of Health embarked on its course of local health system development in mid-1986 with the creation of commissions on the subjects of health teams, information, control, management, community participation, and health education. At the same time, administrative decentralization got under way with the shifting of human resources and supplies, finances, accounting, and maintenance functions to the health centers. The Comprehensive Health Program, which defines the Ministry of Health's basic scope of action in the local health system, was established in 1989. A total of 86 local health systems have been established to date, and considerable progress has been made both in defining a political and structural framework for health services integration and in enlisting the community's participation in analyzing the health problems that affect it, as well as in local decision-making for the resolution of such problems.

Costa Rica↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Informed choices for attaining the Millennium Development Goals: towards an international cooperative agenda for health-systems research.

Health systems constraints are impeding the implementation of major global initiatives for health and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Research could contribute to overcoming these barriers. An independent task force has been convened by WHO to suggest areas where international collaborative research could help to generate the knowledge necessary to improve health systems. Suggested topics encompass financial and human resources, organisation and delivery of health services, governance, stewardship, knowledge management, and global influences. These topics should be viewed as tentative suggestions that form a basis for further discussion. This article is part of a wide-ranging consultation and comment is invited. The potential agenda will be presented at the Ministerial Summit on Health Research in November, 2004, and revised in the light of responses. Subsequently, we hope that resources will be committed to generate the evidence needed to build the equitable, effective, and efficient health systems needed to achieve the MDGs

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed2004

Health systems factors influencing maternal health services: a four-country comparison.

It is widely understood that maternal health care relies on the entire health system. However, little empirical, country-specific, research has been done to trace out the ways in which health system elements can shape maternal health outcomes. This study seeks to redress this situation, by providing an example of how a health systems approach can benefit the understanding of maternal health services. A comparative analysis was conducted based on extensive case studies of maternal health and health systems in Bangladesh, Russia, South Africa, and Uganda. A number of cross-cutting health system characteristics affecting maternal health were identified by comparing these diverse settings. The most important common systems issues underlying maternal health care were found to be the human resource structures, the public-private mix of service provision, and the changes involved with health sector reforms. Specific country contexts can further determine many factors influencing maternal health outcomes and service performance. Systems issues were found to influence the access to and utilization of services, quality of care provided, and ultimately maternal health outcomes. This paper provides a first step in tracing out how such broad systems issues actually work to influence maternal health.

Bangladesh↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Polarity management: the key challenge for integrated health systems.

Integrated health systems are confronted with numerous dilemmas that must be managed. Many of these dilemmas are an inherent part of the system's structure, given that multiple competing hospitals, medical groups, and (sometimes) health plans are often under one organizational roof. This article presents an analysis of these dilemmas--referred to in the management literature as polarities--as they are found in six integrated health systems in Illinois. The nine polarities that must be managed include (1) hospital systems that want to be organizations of physicians; (2) system expansion by growing the physician component; (3) system centralization and physician decentralization; (4) centripetal and centrifugal forces involving physicians; (5) system objectives and physician interests; (6) system centralization and hospital decentralization; (7) primary care physicians and specialists; (8) physician autonomy via collectivization; and (9) vertical and virtual integration. The article identifies some of the solutions to the polarities that have been enacted by systems. In general, executives and physicians in integrated health systems must attend to the processes of integration as much as or more than the structures of integration.

Cooperative Behavior↗
PubMed2006

Local health systems in 21st century: who cares?-An exploratory study on health system governance in Amsterdam.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing awareness that there should be a public health perspective to health system governance. Its intrinsic population health orientation provides the ultimate ground for determining the health needs and governing collaborative care arrangements within which these needs can be met. Notwithstanding differences across countries, population health concerns are not central to European health reforms. Governments currently withdraw leaving governance roles to care providers and/or financiers. Thereby, incentives that trigger the uptake of a public health perspective are often ignored. METHODS: In this study we addressed this issue in the city of Amsterdam. Using a qualitative study design, we explored whether there is a public health perspective to the governance practices of the municipality and the major sickness fund in Amsterdam. And if so, what the scope of this perspective is. And if not, why not. RESULTS: Findings indicate that the municipality has a public health perspective to local health system governance, but its scope is limited. The municipality facilitates rather than governs health care provision in Amsterdam. Furthermore, the sickness fund runs major financial risks when adapting a public health perspective. It covers an insured population that partly overlaps the Amsterdam population. Returns on investments in population health are therefore uncertain, as competitors would also profit from the sickness fund's investments. CONCLUSION: The local health system in Amsterdam is not consistently aligned to the health needs of the Amsterdam population. The Amsterdam case is not unique and general consequences for local health system governance are discussed.

Cities↗
PubMed1981

Governing body requirements for health systems agencies: Public Health Service. Notice of proposed rulemaking.

These regulations set forth proposed amendments to the regulations governing the selection, composition and responsibility of health systems agency (HSA) governing bodies. They are intended to implement section 1512(b)(3) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The proposed regulations have been developed because some of the statutory provisions concerning body composition and selection require elaboration and regulation to ensure that they will be interpreted consistently with Congressional intent.

Community Participation↗
PubMed1982

Health Systems Agencies: Public Health Service. Amendment to final rule.

This regulation amends the Department's regulation governing the designation and funding of health systems agencies (HSAs) to provide that HSAs will no longer be required to conduct appropriateness reviews, conduct reviews of the proposed uses of Federal funds, or collect, and make available to the public, the rates charged for each of the twenty-five most frequently used hospital services in their States. The intended effect of this regulation is to reduce the functional burden on HSAs during a period of reduced funding.

Health Planning Support↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Health reform in Greece: planning and implementation of a national health system.

The health system in Greece has for many years been in a state of continuous crisis. The basic aspects of this crisis involve: a fragmented administrative framework; low level of public expenditure; a significant private sector; inadequate hospitals; skewed manpower; and, a low level of primary care. In 1983, the National Health System (ESY) was established, as an effort to improve the above situation. This article presents the context of the ESY and the situation of the health system prior to and after the establishment of the ESY. The conclusion drawn is that many of the goals of the ESY have not been achieved or only partly achieved, and that a number of the above serious problems still persist.

Greece↗
PubMed2003

Managing drug shortages: seven years' experience at one health system.

A health system's experience in monitoring drug shortages since 1996 within the organization and since 2001 on a national level is described. Since January 1996, the Drug Information Service (DIS) at the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics (UUHSC) has systematically prepared written bulletins to affected practitioners when drug shortages occurred. The DIS began providing information on a national level to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists in January 2001. A total of 224 drug shortages were tracked from January 1996 to June 2002. All shortages at UUHSC were also national shortages, but only about two thirds of national shortages also affected UUHSC. The most common reasons for shortages were manufacturing problems (28%) and product discontinuation (20%). The most frequently represented pharmacologic-therapeutic categories were central nervous system agents (24%) and serums, toxoids, and vaccines (17%). Of the 119 shortages in 2001, 70 (59%) were still ongoing as of the end of June 2002. The most common potential safety problems were that clinicians might be unfamiliar with the alternative agent (54%) and that the alternative's dosage requirement was different (50%). Over half of the shortages were cost neutral, but the assessment did not include substantial potential indirect costs. Detailed information on drug shortages collected by a health system's drug information service since 1996 indicated a trend toward more frequent shortages.

Hospitals, University↗
PubMed1994

[The French occupational health system. I. Organization of the French occupational health system].

In the first part the author discusses the fundamental principles of occupational health in France, organisational structure of company and inter-company occupational health services as well as the role and responsibilities of occupational physicians. Part II will deal with the evolution of the system. Occupational health in France deserves attention, at least, because of two reasons. Firstly, a great role of an occupational physician distinguishes it from occupational health in other European countries. Secondly, the French experience can be very useful in restructuring of the Polish occupational health system.

France↗
PubMed1980

Analysis of health education sections of health systems plans.

Health Systems Agencies are required by federal guidelines to plan for and provide educational opportunities for residents of their health service areas. A study was conducted of 9 health education components of health systems plans developed by HSAs in Region III. The health education plans were analyzed and scored using the "Health Education Plan Scorecard" developed by Sullivan and adapted by the present authors. Specifically this modified scorecard consists of eight dimensions of the health education planning process: Involvement, Principles and Practice of Health Education, Defining Problems, Setting Goals and Objectives, Recommending Actions, Obtaining Resources, Planning for Implementation, and Planning for Evaluation. Ratings were generally higher on the first five dimensions of the scorecard. The last three dimensions produced lower scores. The overall average score was 41 points out of a possible 100. Thus indicating the general overall low scores received by the plans. The paper includes 18 recommendations to HSAs for improving the quality of health education plans. A key recommendation is that the Health Education Plan Scorecard should be used as a guide and check list during the plan development process.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Transformations in public health systems.

Public health systems are undergoing major changes. Historically, population-oriented services framed the responsibilities of the public health system. Yet over time, clinical services, particularly maternal and child health care, became an important component. More recently, many public health agencies have begun to refocus on traditional services, largely in response to Medicaid managed care and an associated decline in clients. This paper examines such transformations in thirteen states.

Financing, Government↗
PubMed2006

[Health systems as an epidemiological topic--or how do we know how effective health systems are?].

The article looks at health systems -- especially their effectiveness in improving population health -- from an epidemiological perspective. It demonstrates that research questions and methodologies do not substantially differ from other areas of epidemiological research. Longitudinal designs are superior to the frequently conducted cross-sectional approaches; exposition and outcome parameters need to be carefully defined. A useful approach is "avoidable mortality" which separates medically amenable causes of death from other ones. The article demonstrates that the "exposition health system" has a clearly beneficial effect on population health.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed1994

[The burn-out syndrome in physicians of the public health system of a health area].

The syndrome of professional exhaustion (burn-out) and the influence of work conditions are studied among 273 physicians of the Public Health System, 143 specialists and 130 Primary Care physicians. All of them answered two questionnaires: the Maslach Burn-out Inventory and another questionnaire related to the job. The results show significantly higher levels of exhaustion in the specialists than their fellow-workers in Primary Care units. Both groups are also compared to the original American sample. The results are commented in the context of a possible influence of a Health Reform. The urgent necessity of managerial measures to stop and prevent the Syndrome is concluded.

Burnout, Professional↗
PubMed1999

Strategies to enhance the use of health systems research for health sector reform.

In spite of frequent claims to the contrary, there is very little evidence that health systems research actually influences policy-making. Based on a case study from Thailand and a literature review, we develop a stakeholder-oriented model of policy-making. We argue that only if stakeholders' needs are taken into consideration during design and implementation of scientific projects and dissemination of the results, research will have a chance to influence the policy process. From this model, we derive a five-step approach to enhance the use of research by various stakeholders. We then propose institutional arrangements and conditions to make the use of research for policy-making more sustainable. 'The world of ideas and the world of action are not separate, but inseparable parts of each other. Ideas are true forces that change the tangible world. The man and woman of action has no less responsibility to understand the world than the scholar'. Donabedian (1986)

Decision Making, Organizational↗