Health Care Cooperation Research Articles

Experience of Taiwan-Russian healthcare cooperation model building using Internet technologies

Experience of Taiwan-Russian healthcare cooperation model building using Internet technologies

Identifying and Prioritizing Economic Opportunities for Medical Tourism Management: An Analytic Hierarchy process

Background: As a growing industry, medical tourism includes many economic opportunities. This industry is the largest and most diverse industry in the world, with a foreign currency income which is equal to the automotive and military weapons industries. The aim of the current research is to identify and prioritize economic opportunities related to medical tourism management, using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a multi-criteria decision-making tool. Methods: This was a descriptive-survey research with an applied and cross-sectional approach. A survey method was used to collect data, so this study can be classified as field research. The statistical population of the research included 25 people with experience and expertise selected through purposive sampling in the fields of management, tourism, and medicine. The method of collecting data was in the form of library and field studies. The tool for collecting data was a questionnaire of paired comparisons and a check sheet. Data analysis was done with AHP method and Expert Choice 11 software. After collecting the paired comparison questionnaire and calculating the geometric mean, the inconsistency rate of the questionnaires was less than 0.1, which showed that the data had the required validity. Results: First, using library studies, economic opportunities related to medical tourism were identified. These opportunities included cash generation, technological advancements, job creation, diversification of tourism industry, development of health care infrastructure, knowledge transfer and cooperation, services and ancillary industries, and regional development and diversification of economic activity. Opportunities were prioritized using the AHP method. Cash generation with relative importance of 0.191 was ranked first, job creation with relative importance of 0.162 was second, and technological advances was ranked third with relative importance of 0.131. Diversification to economic activities with a relative importance of 0.45 was ranked ninth which was the lowest. Conclusion: Strategic marketing, delivering quality healthcare services, competitive pricing, specialized medical care, patient-centered experience, collaboration and partnership, continuous improvement, and strengthening medical tourism infrastructure are the pillars through which medical tourism management can not only generate sustainable revenue but also provide invaluable healthcare services to patients from across the globe.

Open Innovation adoption in healthcare through bibliometric analysis

Today, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health organizations are still unexplored. Both academics and professionals made a number of cutting-edge efforts to comprehend these effects and address the problems this pandemic caused. However, these efforts have produced no interesting results due to the adoption of innovation practices inappropriate to the post pandemic situation.Health organizations were faced with diverse issues due to their inability to satisfy all demands. hence the need for new innovation practices to beat the potential consequences of this pandemic. Open Innovation (OI) as a new paradigm of innovation turns out to be an alternative mode of innovation for these organizations during the post-pandemic period.The main objective of this communication would be to explore the adoptionof OI in healthcare organizations since its advent. As the research on open innovation in health is still in its primary stage, the authors conducted a bibliometric analysis of OI in healthcare since its appearance. They employed a screening routine in the Scopus data base to identify and retrieve relevant articles for their analysis. Afterward, they mobilized the VOSviewer software to graphically map the bibliographic material.Results highlight that research on OI in health is still in its early stages in both developed and developing countries. Moreover, the notable trends of these studies are value creation, healthcare delivery quality, ecosystems, cooperation behavior, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.This communication unveiled several propositions that might be used as a foundation for upcoming research studies devoted to OI in healthcare.

The journey of lung cancer patients from symptoms to diagnosis in Greece. A mixed methods approach

The early diagnosis of lung cancer improves the probability of successful treatment. However, patients and physicians face several difficulties that can considerably delay the diagnostic process. A mixed-methods study that would follow the patient’s journey throughout the diagnostic process could alleviate these difficulties. This study aimed to (a) track the patients’ journey from the onset of symptoms until diagnosis and, (b) explore the patients’ perspective of the journey until diagnosis, on the largest island of Greece. A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted with 94 patients with lung cancer. Patients completed a self-report questionnaire and were interviewed about their symptoms and journey through the healthcare system before their diagnosis. Our findings revealed several problems and delays in the diagnostic process. Both quantitative and qualitative data showed that patients did not recognize their symptoms and sought medical advice in time because they overlooked or attributed their symptoms to ‘simpler’/‘more common’ causes. Furthermore, most patients were diagnosed 1–3 months after their first visit to a physician for their symptoms. Qualitative data analysis revealed three broad categories of problems that delayed diagnosis: (1) physician missteps, (2) administrative problems, and (3) the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study found that major issues and delays prolong the diagnostic process for lung cancer. Therefore, optimization of diagnostic processes at each level of healthcare and interspecialty cooperation programs are needed. Furthermore, population-based interventions and patient education can help lung cancer patients be diagnosed early and improve their quality of life and disease outcomes.

Substantial Increases in Healthcare Students' State Empathy Scores Owing to Participation in a Single Improvisation Session.

To determine whether the 12-item state empathy scale could be modified reliably to measure empathy in healthcare professions students and to detect changes in their empathy owing to a single improvisation (improv) session. Three cohorts of students from two healthcare professions programs (total = 165 students) participated in an improv session. During the session, one of the researchers (BS) tasked the students with several improv activities. Participants' self-reported state empathy scores were assessed at three time points (pre-improv, post-improv, and end of semester) using revised, in-class paper versions of the State Empathy Scale. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a single factor solution for the revised scale, justifying the creation of an overall state empathy score from the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha reliability values averaged 0.87. Students' mean empathy scores were higher directly after the improv session than directly prior to the session (p < 0.0001; effect size = r = 0.67, 0.55, and 0.79 for cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively). These findings show that a single one- or two-hour improv session can foster substantial increases in healthcare professional students' state empathy for one another. Greater healthcare professional empathy and compassion foster better healthcare team cooperation and patient outcomes, so healthcare professionals and their students should engage in such empathy-enhancing activities at regular intervals throughout their training and careers.

Peacebuilding Through Cooperation in Health Care and Public Health Between Israel and Palestine.

Peacebuilding Through Cooperation in Health Care and Public Health Between Israel and Palestine.

Assessing Path Dependency in Vietnam's Healthcare Legal Framework: Exploring Public-Private Collaboration in Ho Chi Minh City during the COVID-19 Crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a nudge for public-private cooperation in healthcare to rapidly cope with limited resource. However, Vietnam's historical reliance on a public healthcare system, combined with a traditional emphasis on socialization in the Polanyian sense, hindered the swift integration of the private sector. This research investigates path dependency in Vietnam's public health sector, using theories including path dependency, Karl Polanyi's double movement with legal analysis method to analyze the interplay of historical decisions, and socialist policies in healthcare. Recognizing these institutional and market governance flaws, a deeper understanding of the role of law becomes vital in crafting strategies for a more resilient and sustainable healthcare system in Vietnam. In this article, Ho Chi Minh City is chosen as a case study due to its notable mix of public-private healthcare facilities and its status as a leading area in infection cases during the third COVID-19 wave. The article suggests that there should be a change in the way public and private sectors work together, one that is more in line with market-driven solutions which requires solid legal framework for cooperation beyond merely mobilizing resources.

Mid-Term Strategic Plan for the Public Health and Medical Care Cooperation in the Korean Peninsula.

As extensive as the concept of and the resources required for 'Health for Korean Unification' are, and due to the limited access to information on the state of health and medical care in North Korea, discussion on 'Health for Korean Unification' has tended to be intermittent and lacked concrete action plans. In this article, we specifically distinguished areas of cooperation and selected five executable agenda that meet the goals of international development cooperation: 1) Health security; 2) Easing the burden of major diseases; 3) Resilient healthcare system; 4) R&amp;D cooperation; 5) Sustainable cooperation system. Then we provided corresponding strategic priorities and operative directions, in consideration of future military and political sanctions against North Korea. The strategies we outline are sustainable, preemptive for problems that might affect lives of South and North Korean citizens, and satisfy the unmet needs of the North Korean health system. Throughout the process, we utilized a special platform, the 'Korean Peninsula Healthcare Cooperation Platform,' designed to enable continual communication across sectors engaged in public health and medical care. By doing so, we take the first step to actually carry out the 'Health for Korean Unification,' which tended to have remained on the discussion agenda.

Supporting clinical workflow: The role of pharmacist-nurse relationships in delivery of care

Background: There has been an increasing acknowledgement of the need for interprofessional cooperation in healthcare in recent years. Aim of the Study: This review thoroughly analyzes the significance of pharmacist-nurse interactions in facilitating clinical workflow, specifically exploring the advantages, difficulties, and methods for improving collaborative practice. Materials and Methods: The literature reviewed in the analysis included a wide variety of research methods, offering valuable information on the potential benefits and challenges of cooperation between pharmacists and nurses. Results: The examination of the literature demonstrated that cooperative partnerships between pharmacists and nurses may enhance the management of medications and the delivery of patient care, resulting in improved patient outcomes. The research identified key themes that highlighted the advantages of multidisciplinary teamwork, such as greater drug safety, improved patient education, and more effective care delivery. Nevertheless, the analysis also identified many obstacles, such as language difficulties, unclear job responsibilities, and limitations within the organization, which might impede the successful cooperation between pharmacists and nurses. The results underscore the need for improved cooperation and correspondence among these medical practitioners in order to surmount the highlighted obstacles and optimize the advantages of their alliance.

Using Linear Regressions Analyzing the Impact of Medical Technology Inputs on Economic Output in China and Brazil

In the current era of globalization, the relationship between healthcare investments and economic outcomes has emerged as a pivotal research focus. Researchers have made significant strides in understanding this relationship; however, certain knowledge gaps and disparities in explanations persist. This underscores the importance of investigating the impact of healthcare investments on economic outcomes, particularly in the contexts of two distinct yet influential developing countries, China and Brazil. This study delves into the intricate interplay between healthcare investments and economic outcomes in China and Brazil. Using a comprehensive dataset from the World Health Organization (WHO), including capital health expenditures, domestic government health expenditures, and more. Then we employ the linear regression analysis in tandem with these indicators to investigate the relationship between them and economic output. This research also considers non-data-based variables, such as policies and national economic conditions, to ensure the accuracy of our findings. Our findings reveal that healthcare expenditures, particularly Government General Healthcare Expenditure (GGHE-D) and External Health Expenditure (EXT), significantly impact China's GDP growth. In contrast, Brazil exhibits a distinct pattern, with GGHE-D negatively impacting its economic output while Transfers from Government Domestic Revenue (TransGDR) that allocated to health contribute positively. These distinctions highlight the diverse effects of healthcare spending on the economies of the two nations. In conclusion, this research underscores the need for tailored healthcare policies in the context of economic structures and the significance of evidence-based decision-making. It also highlights the potential of international cooperation in healthcare to drive GDP growth and healthcare innovation.

A perspective-taking university course for cancer survivors, loved ones and healthcare professionals

This study reports the results of a university course aimed at exploring and improving cooperation in healthcare with both cancer survivors, loved ones and healthcare professionals as students.Central to the course was the understanding of and moving between each other's perspectives. Operating within a framework inspired by problem-based learning (PBL), small groups consisting of at least one cancer survivor, one loved one and one healthcare professional, collaboratively created scenarios based on their personal experiences. The students developed, elaborated, and identified problems and potential solutions. The pedagogical framing illustrated an empowering process of defining and elaborating a problem of their combined concerns, using their different knowledge. Although cooperation presented challenges, most students were able to explore and appreciate each other's perspectives when provided with a safe environment. Our experiences highlight the importance of both contextual safety and personal development as key factors in addressing power imbalances in healthcare.

„Es ist eine unserer Hauptaufgaben, die Sicherheit der Patienten zu gewährleisten.“ – Ergebnisse einer qualitativen Studie zur Gewährleistung von Sicherheit in der beatmungsspezifischen Hilfsmittelversorgung

BackgroundMaintaining safety is critical in home mechanical ventilation (HMV). It is co-determined by the availability of reliable technical aids and their correct application. Ensuring safe aid supply is part of the aid providers'́ legal mandate. However, whether and how this is achieved is largely unknown. Therefore, the tasks of technical aid providers, associated requirements and challenges with special regards to educational and safety aspects were investigated. MethodsFor this purpose, episodic interviews were conducted between July and December 2020 with a purposive sample of field representatives of eleven technical aid providers. Between one and six persons participated in each of the interviews, resulting in a total sample of 25 persons (14 field representatives without management function, ten with management function, one director). Given the conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, six interviews took place face-to-face and five as web meetings. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. ResultsFrom the interviewees'́ perspective, the most important safety-related measure is the legally required and individually tailored initial instruction in a safe aid application. Additional safety-related tasks comprise counselling, e. g. for prescribing physicians and users (patients, relatives, nursing service employees), regular home visits, and the provision of a technical emergency service. Interviewees indicate that safety risks emerge primarily from a lack of skills and a high staff turnover among professional caregivers. This, they state, challenges building up and maintaining competencies among nursing staff. Other safety risks arise from healthcare fragmentation, lacking coordination, cooperation, and accountability of the professionals involved. Respondents address these challenges pragmatically by providing additional services, like ongoing caregiver training, care coordination and support roles. DiscussionMaintaining safety in ventilation-associated technical aid supply must be considered a crucial component of the overall HMV care processes, in which safety currently cannot be taken for granted. Field representatives of technical aid providers address the existing challenges with selective and intuitive strategies, some of which exceed their legal mandate. ConclusionImproving safety in home care can be supported by establishing Advanced Nursing Practice roles in nursing services. The systematic further development of roles and tasks of staff of technical aid providers should be clarified within an overarching discourse on viable approaches to cross-sectoral and interprofessional HMV care.

The Significance of Cooperation in Interdisciplinary Health Care Teams as Perceived by Polish Medical Students.

The aim of the study was to explore the opinions of medical students with regard to cooperation in the interdisciplinary team, as well as the factors affecting the formation of opinions. The study was conducted using the Polish version of the questionnaire Attitudes Towards Interprofessional Health Care Teams. The study involved 1266 participants, including students of medicine (n = 308), midwifery (n = 348), nursing (n = 316) and physiotherapy (n = 294). According to the opinions of the students participating in the study, the therapeutic process based on the interdisciplinary model improves the quality of medical care provided, increases patient safety, and improves communication between members of the therapeutic team. The factors affecting the assessment of cooperation in interdisciplinary medical care teams included the faculty and the year of studies, gender, as well as participation in the multidisciplinary courses. Students recognize the need for interdisciplinary medical teams. The training of future medical professionals should incorporate the elements of interprofessional education. This form of education allows students to develop both a professional identity and identification with their own profession, as well as encourages teamwork skills and shapes the attitude of openness towards representatives of other medical professions. However, in order to provide the students with the relevant knowledge, skills and competencies, it is essential to respect their diversity in terms of the faculty, as well as to account for the impact of gender and the year of studies which may affect their readiness to engage in teamwork.

디지털 기술을 활용한 보건복지 지원체계의 모색

This study analyzes the foreign experience of introducing digital welfare in Finland and Denmark in Scandinavia, which are leading efforts to utilize welfare technology in the public domain, among the Nordic countries that have already experienced the low fertility and aging situation from the 1960s. The author tried to explore the establishment of a health and welfare support system using technology. To this objective, the Danish government's five-year 'Growth Strategy for Digital Welfare' was examined in depth along with cases of public and private sector data integration platform construction in Finland. Finland has established the Kantar service since 2007, a centralized and integrated digital data system merging the social welfare data, electronic medical records (EMR), with genome data of its people all together. Then, in 2019, the revision of the Second Data Utilization Act to revitalize data utilization opened the way for private companies to use the integrated data for multiple purposes. In the case of Denmark, through a systematic e-government strategy for more than 10 years the foundation for digital public essential services has been laid. The main goals are the dissemination of telemedicine, effective cooperation in health care, and the application of welfare technologies and digital processes in the fields of nursing and care. In this study, after examining the cases of Finland and Denmark where the private and public sectors collaborate in terms of digitization in the social welfare and health care sectors, the author finally suggests key tasks we need to improve to create public interest through digitization.

8.C. Workshop: Networking for life: How European regions develop/strengthen cross-border health

Abstract The WHO European Programme of Work (2020-2025) emphasizes the importance of “supporting local living environments that enable health and well-being”. Through engaging with regulatory arrangements that support an environment that responds to citizens’ concerns for safer, healthier and better living, the EPW intertwines with the aims of the EPH Conference to promote population health and to strengthen health systems. The Covid-19 pandemic shows that health threats do not stop at national borders. Different responses amongst cross-border regions, based on national policies in terms of Public Health and Social Measures (PHSM), may even weaken their effectiveness. The importance of cooperation across border is not only relevant in the framework of pandemic preparedness and responses, but in many other fields: healthcare cooperation, emergency medical care, medico-social cooperation and health promotion. All have shown to be beneficial to population health when developed at the subnational level across border regions. Consequently, cross-border health (care) gained importance in recent years and there are various border regions who showcase successful cross-border cooperation in the field of health. Projects are being implemented along neighbouring European regions, translating into improved access to healthcare for the border populations, promoting prevention and health education as well as increasing healthcare availability and equity. Via various health networks, border regions can learn to engage with neighbours and build up tailor-made health services for their citizens. More so, through active participation in various well-established public health networks, the exchange of ideas, knowledge and solutions to strengthen cross-border health becomes part of region's daily work. Through strong networks and partnerships, joint solutions for a strengthened citizens’ health in rural areas could be found. Creating synergies between the healthcare capacities of the two sides of the border, collaboration between border area medical teams, access to equipment located one or other side of the border can make a positive impact on the users of health services and facilities. In this round table workshop, the role and impact of health networks on a sub-national level (regional) will be further examined. Based on selected well-established health networks, their work and value will be outlined. The Keynote speech will be given by the Coordinator of the WHO Europe Regions for Health Network, Dr. Bettina Menne. Subsequently, 3-4 well-established health networks will take the floor with a short presentation (5 min) in order to present their ‘business case’ and value. The presentations will be followed by a short round table discussion in order to highlight the role and strengths European health networks can bring to regions in order to improve cross-border healthcare (WHO RHN, Healthacross /Lower Austria, euPrevent, AEBR, EUREGHA). Key messages • Role and impact of health networking for cross-border health on a sub-national level. • Outlining the benefits and challenges for border regions to participate in health networks in order to strengthen cross-border health (also during Covid-19).

Lessons from the epidemiological investigation efforts during the COVID-19 epidemic in Israel

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused a crisis in the Israeli healthcare system. The wave-like morbidity created an overload of epidemiological investigations, which led to delays and less than successful efforts to prevent infection. For this reason, Israel decided to mobilize the military for this purpose, creating a forced cooperation between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the IDF, an expert in dealing with crises. Aim To examine the implications of the forced encounter between the IDF and the healthcare system, including both tensions and cooperation efforts. Methods Twenty in-depth interviews were carried out with MOH and IDF personnel in different roles at various levels towards the end of the second pandemic wave in Israel. Findings The findings present a dual picture of cooperation and mutual respect, side by side with contradictions and conflicts. The feeling that the IDF came in to ‘save the day’ placed the healthcare people in an inferior position. Clearly, there was no explicit plan for division of authority. It was clear to the healthcare staff that they have the authority as the professionals, and to the IDF people that they have it as the ‘saviors’ brought in for this purpose. The healthcare people did see the potential of the military force mobilized for this purpose, but felt they were asked for their opinion only initially, when the military personnel had to study the system. As soon as they became familiar with it, they were no longer asked for advice, and control was given to the IDF. The findings also show that the MOH’s qualitative professional approach often clashed with the IDF’s action-based approach. Conclusions The military was mobilized as a crisis expert in order to assist the healthcare system in managing said crisis, but in fact this assistance had many side effects. Managing expectations, division of authority and open, sharing communication may have been useful in preventing the conflicts and managing them. Key messages • It is important to be aware of the a-symmetrical power relations of the military-healthcare system interface in order to create effective work and true, coherent cooperation. • Management of expectations, organized division of authority and open, sharing communication may have assisted in preventing the conflicts raised and managing them.

Survey in Hyogo Prefecture on the Current Status of Pharmacists in Home Health Care and Exploration of Factors Causing Psychological Burden

There is a need for pharmacists to be actively involved in home healthcare through a wide range of collaboration in healthcare and welfare. However, insufficient evidence is available to search for factors that prevent pharmacists from being proactive in home healthcare. In this study, we conducted an extensive questionnaire survey among pharmacists engaged in home pharmacy work who belong to the Hyogo Pharmaceutical Society regarding the current status of pharmacists' work in home medical care and their psychological burden; we also explored the factors that may hinder the future development of home medical care. As a result, 925 (44%) valid responses were obtained, and seven factors- "current multidisciplinary cooperation", "relationships with patients and their families", "emotional burden for home healthcare", "attitude toward patients", "ideal of multidisciplinary cooperation", "anxiety about aggressive intervention", and "anxiety about talking to and dealing with patients"- were extracted. Furthermore, it was suggested that pharmacists' mental burden and anxiety are closely related to their successful experiences in building relationships with patients and patients' families as well as with multidisciplinary cooperation in home healthcare. Therefore, to train pharmacists to be actively involved in home healthcare, it is important not only to impart knowledge and skills but also for them to gain experience practicing their contributions as pharmacists in the field of home healthcare with multiple professions, patients, and patients' families.

Current situation and tasks for public health and medical cooperation between South Korea and Central Asia: Focusing on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

2022 marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Central Asia. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, Korea and Central Asia have expanded exchanges in various fields, including politics, economy, and diplomacy. Cooperation between Korea and Central Asia utilizing the abundant medical manpower of Central Asia and Korea’s excellent medical and pharmaceutical technology was also selected as a promising area of cooperation between the two sides. Korea and Central Asia have continued to cooperate in the field of health and medical care, but there were limits to deepening cooperation. Recently, the importance of health and medical cooperation around the world has been highlighted again due to COVID-19. This thesis examines the status and problems of health care in Central Asia, and analyzes the achievements and limitations of health care cooperation between Korea and Central Asia. The purpose of this is to suggest directions for strengthening health care cooperation between Korea and Central Asia. This will help the new government, which aims to become a global center of bio-digital health, explore strategies and policies for preemptive health care cooperation in Central Asian countries.

Joint learning for improvement – interprofessional competence development within the framework of a co-operative project between the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria and the Medical Faculty of Johannes Kepler University Linz

Objectives: This project carried out in cooperation between the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria (UASHPUA) and the Medical Faculty of Johannes Kepler University Linz (MFJKUL), describes the feasibility, i.e., the planning and implementation, and presents selected results of an inter-university lecture on interprofessional cooperation. Methodology: The lecture “Grundlagen zu interprofessioneller Zusammenarbeit im Gesundheitswesen (IPZ3I)”/“Introduction to interprofessional cooperation in health care (IPZ3I)” as well as an interprofessional job shadowing were designed. The pilot lecture started in the winter semester (WS) 2019/20. An evaluation of IPZ3I was undertaken by means of a questionnaire. Results: IPZ3I was held in the WS 2019/20 for 296 students from nine different health care professions and included a specialist lecture, the presentation of the professions, and interprofessional case processing. In the evaluation approx. 80% of the students described a better understanding of the interprofessional collaboration. More than 70% regard interprofessional courses in education as important or very important. The majority of respondents indicate that after completing the lecture they can make recommendations for action for interprofessional cooperation. Conclusions: The joint lecture IPZ3I will be maintained at both universities. The process of evaluation and adaptation of curricula at UASHPUA is currently underway. This includes, for instance, consultations with the curriculum officers at MFJKUL, and the exploration of further possibilities to identify and to implement joint interprofessional teaching aspects in the curricula. This shall be achieved by considering the existing resources, increasing student numbers at MFJKUL as of 2023, planned curricula revisions as well as using possible synergies aiming at an extension of the existing cooperation.

Community pharmacy practice related to the COVID-19 pandemic: barriers and facilitators

BackgroundCommunity pharmacies provide an important healthcare service. Their significant value has been further highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.ObjectivesTo identify and categorize potential barriers and facilitators to the role of community pharmacists during the pandemic and their association with demographic factors.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire during April 2020 across all regions of Egypt.Key findingsRespondents (n = 1018; 98.4% response rate) revealed practical and psychological barriers, including inadequate levels of pandemic preparedness (mean 61.43%; ±SD 0.47), inadequate working environments (mean 56.23%; ±SD 0.49) and uncooperative behaviour from stakeholders (mean 65.3%; ±SD 0.47).The majority of respondents emphasized the universal, region-independent necessity for facilitators, including the availability of timely (94.9%) guidance (97.4%) published by the Egyptian healthcare authority (94.6%), in electronic format (82.1%), through smartphone application (80.0%) and the provision of a dedicated telephone hotline (89.5%). Furthermore, authorities must use the media to manage public perceptions (97.2%) and increase public trust (94.8%) towards the pharmacist.ConclusionsThe barriers and facilitators identified herein could improve service provision in an integrated manner by overcoming the reported inadequate level of preparedness (barrier) through the provision of electronic guidance (facilitator), and the use of the media in managing public perceptions and trust (facilitators) to reduce the panic that negatively affects the working environment (barrier) for pharmacy staff. The varied level of healthcare authority cooperation reported in many regions requires further investigation.