Health Care In Peru Research Articles

Rogelio Bermejo Ortega y el desafío de la atención primaria de salud en el Perú

The publication of this historiographical article has two objectives: The first is to pay tribute to the life trajectory of the sanfernandino doctor Rogelio Bermejo Ortega, one of the Peruvian pioneers of rural health, of community participation and intersectoral work in the development of general welfare. The second, to carry out from his life trajectory a first critical analysis of the implementation process of Primary Health Care (PHC) in Peru, based on the observations stated in his work “Primary Health Care in Peru”. Rescuing some elements to sustain —in these years of general crisis— a reform of the health system, oriented in an authentic way to the achievement of “health for all and per all” in Peru.

Machine Learning Applied to Prevention and Mental Health Care in Peru

The present research aims to develop an application that allows the early and timely detection of signs of problems in the mental health of citizens. Agile methodology was used, with its SCRUM framework developing its four steps. In addition, technological tools such as artificial intelligence, mobile appli-cations, social networks and the python programming language were used. Also using SQL Server, Android Studio and the Marvel applications, the latter for the design of the prototypes, through the method of sentiment analysis and machine learning, in order to create a mobile application that is as accurate as possible in its results. For this, several types of algorithm were evaluated, managing to select the most appropriate one since it works based on information collected through the social networks Facebook and Twitter. The result that was obtained was the application that uses machine learning to prevent and take care of mental health in Peru, thus benefiting the citizens of society.

Policy Considerations to Promote Equitable Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment in Peru.

Background:Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death among Peruvian women. Women seeking screening or treatment services experience delays in receiving screening results provided at community clinics or district hospitals, and lack sufficient resources to pay out-of-pocket to travel to the capital city of Lima for specialized treatment. Continued disparities in health outcomes and systemic barriers to accessing services suggest there are gaps between policy measures and implementation.Objectives:We aim to understand why national policies and clinical pathways that are aligned to global standards have been insufficient in improving cervical cancer screening and treatment in Peru, particularly among women who experience systemic exclusion from health services.Methods:We conducted a policy analysis based on a literature review (2005–2020), in Spanish and English, on PubMed, Global Health, Scopus, EconLit, Lilacs, and Scielo using a value-based care framework.Findings:The main barriers included unequal distribution of health infrastructure and health care workforce, and differences in access to health insurance. Additional barriers, including limited political will and support, limit efforts to prioritize the implementation of cervical cancer policies. We propose policy considersations in redesigning payment models, expanding healthcare workforce, generating costing and policy evidence, and reviewing policies for point-of-care technologies.Conclusions and Recommendations:The barriers identified in this literature review are applicable not only to cervical cancer care, but to primary health care in Peru. Systematic policy changes that address root causes of health inequities and are implemented at scale are needed to advance health reform efforts.

Implementación de un modelo mixto de atención prenatal, presencial y virtual durante la pandemia COVID-19, en el Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal en Lima, Perú

La pandemia del coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) y las medidas instauradas para su control significaron la interrupción de la atención prenatal, con potencial riesgo en la salud materna y fetal. Por otro lado, la atención prenatal convencional presencial implicaría exposición y riesgo de infección en pacientes y proveedores de salud. El Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal (INMP) ha incorporado la teleconsulta como parte de un nuevo modelo de atención prenatal mixto, cuyo objetivo es disminuir las citas presenciales y, por tanto, el contacto y riesgo de transmisión viral. El paquete de atención prenatal incluye actividades esenciales para atender gestantes en edades gestacionales específicas con mayor impacto en los desenlaces perinatales y maternos. Este nuevo modelo podría generalizarse a nivel nacional y ser parte de la solución a las disparidades de atención en el Perú, mediante políticas del uso de la telemedicina en la atención prenatal que faciliten su implementación, así como su sostenibilidad después de la pandemia de COVID-19.

Los “años perdidos” en la historia del Sistema Nacional de Salud del Perú

Estimado editor: En el contexto actual de la pandemia por COVID-19, las discusiones y opiniones en relación a la salud pública del Perú son abordadas ampliamente por los medios de comunicación. De este modo, un canal nacional de televisión, en uno de sus programas llamado “El país que cuidamos ¿Cómo lograr un acceso universal a la Salud en el Perú?”, compartió la opinión de un reconocido médico, quien consideró al período 1960-1990 como “años perdidos” en la historia del Sistema Nacional de Salud (SSS) del Perú. Esto evidencia la necesidad de verificar la información que se brinda a la población, ya que, como expongo a lo largo de esta carta, en realidad en ese lapso se alcanzaron importantes logros en lo que respecta al SSS peruano que no están siendo reconocidos por dicho profesional.

Sociodemographic inequalities in the uptake of Papanicolaou tests in Peru: Analysis of the Demographic and Family Health Survey 2015-2017

OBJECTIVESThis study was conducted to analyze the inequalities in Papanicolaou test (also referred to as the Pap smear) uptake according to the socio-demographic characteristics of Peruvian women 30 years to 59 years of age using information from the 2015-2017 Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES, acronym in Spanish).METHODSThis is an analytical, cross-sectional study based on information acquired from the 2015-2017 ENDES surveys. Socio-demographic characteristics were reported using absolute frequencies and weighted proportions with 95% confidence intervals, considering results with a p-value <0.05 as statistically significant. Concentration curves (CCs) and concentration indices (IndCs) were created based on the interaction of the wealth index and uptake of Pap smears, taking into account the different characteristics of the population studied for the measure of inequalities.RESULTSAll the CCs were distributed below the line of equality. Similarly, all the IndCs were higher than zero, indicating inequality in the uptake of Pap smears, favoring those with a higher wealth index. The highest IndC values were obtained from women aged 50-59 (IndC, 0.293), those who lived in the jungle (IndC, 0.230), and those without health insurance (IndC, 0.173).CONCLUSIONSWe found socio-demographic inequalities in the uptake of Pap smears in Peru, favoring women with a higher wealth index. More funding is needed to promote cervical cancer screening programs and to create systems that ensure equal access to healthcare in Peru.

Effectiveness of a comprehensive blood pressure control program in primary health care in Peru

ABSTRACTObjective.To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive blood pressure (BP) control program on improving lifestyle indicators, BP levels, and laboratory examination results among people living in low-income urban areas of Peru.Methods.A prospective before-and-after study design was applied to 1 271 participants with hypertension or pre-hypertension. The intervention was implemented for 2 years, from May 2015 – April 2017, in three health centers in Lima (2 in Comas and 1 in Callao). The changes in participants over the study period were compared. All participants were provided with individualized consultations, group health education sessions, regular group meetings to improve self-management, and text messages providing health education. Paired t- and chi-square tests were used to determine the significance of the changes in indicators before and after the intervention.Results.Lifestyle behaviors, such as weight and blood pressure monitoring, reduced salt consumption, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and stress control improved during the intervention (P < 0.001). The EuroQol-Five Dimension Scale showed improvement (P < 0.001) and body mass index, waist circumference, and systolic and diastolic BPs of the participants significantly decreased (P < 0.001). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride decreased (P < 0.01) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) increased after the program (P < 0.001).Conclusions.This comprehensive BP control program was effective in improving lifestyle indicators, BP levels, and laboratory results among people living in a low-income urban area of Peru. Increasing opportunities for BP measurement, systematic management of hypertensive patients, and community-based prevention and education programs are paramount to hypertension detection, prevention, and control.

Making strides towards better mental health care in Peru: Results from a primary care mental health training.

Our program attempted to improve attitudes and confidence of Peruvian primary care physicians (PCPs) providing mental health care. The training program underwent an evaluation to determine impact of sustained confidence in performing medical and psychiatric procedures, and application of learned skills. Fifty-two Peruvian primary care practitioners were trained at the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma (HPRT) over a two-week period. There was significant improvement in PCPs' confidence levels of performing psychiatric procedures (counseling, prescribing medications, psychiatric diagnosis, assessing the risk for violence, and treating trauma victims) when comparing baseline and post-two-week to one year follow-up. When comparing post-two-week and one-year follow-up quantitative measures, confidences levels went slightly down. This may be an implication that the frequency of trainings and supervisions are needed more frequently. In contrast, qualitative responses from the one-year follow-up revealed increase in victims of violence clinical care, advocacy, awareness, education, training, policy changes, accessibility of care, and sustainment of diagnostic tools. This study supports the feasibility of training PCP's in a culturally effective manner with sustainability over time.

A cross-sectional study of low HIV testing frequency and high-risk behaviour among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Lima, Peru.

BackgroundIncreased HIV testing frequency among high-risk populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and male-to-female transgender women (TW) can lead to earlier treatment and potentially reduce HIV transmission.MethodsWe analyzed baseline survey data from 718 high-risk, young (median age 29 [interquartile range 23–35]) MSM/TW enrolled in a community-based HIV prevention trial between 2008–2009. Participants were recruited from 24 neighborhoods in and around Lima, Peru. We assessed HIV testing frequency, testing behaviour, and motivations and barriers to testing. Multivariate analysis identified correlates to prior HIV testing.ResultsOverall, 79.6% reported HIV testing within their lifetimes, however, only 6.2% reported an average of two tests per year, as per Peruvian Ministry of Health guidelines. The most commonly reported motivators for testing were to check one’s health (23.3%), lack of condom use (19.7%), and availability of free testing (14.0%), while low self-perceived risk for HIV (46.9%), fear of a positive result (42.0%), and lack of access to testing services (35.7%) were the most frequently reported barriers. In multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with HIV testing included age [adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) 1.00, 95% CI (1.00-1.01)], transgender-identification vs. gay-identification [APR 1.11, 95% CI (1.03-1.20)], history of transactional sex [APR 1.16, 95% CI (1.07-1.27)], and prior sexually transmitted infection diagnosis [APR 1.15, 95% CI (1.07-1.24)].ConclusionsAn overwhelming majority of participants did not meet the standard-of-care for testing frequency. The reported motivations and barriers to testing highlight issues of risk perception and accessibility. Our findings suggest utilizing non-traditional outreach methods and promoting HIV testing as a routine part of healthcare in Peru to encourage testing and knowledge of HIV serostatus.

Atendiendo la salud mental de las personas con enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles en el Perú: retos y oportunidades para la integración de cuidados en el primer nivel de atención

In this article, the relationship between mental health and chronic non-communicable diseases is discussed as well as the possibility to address them in a comprehensive manner in the Peruvian health system. First, the prevalence estimates and the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases and mental disorders worldwide and in Peru are reviewed. Then, the detrimental impact of depression in the early stages as well as the progress of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases is described. Additionally, the gap between access to mental health care in Peru is analyzed. Lastly, the alternatives to reduce the gap are explored. Of these alternatives, the integration of mental health into primary care services is emphasized; as a feasible way to meet the care needs of the general population, and people with chronic diseases in particular, in the Peruvian context.

The Value of Community-Focused Interprofessional Care in Peru for Developing Cultural Competency in Health Professions Students

International immersion experiences for health-care students have increased over the past 10 years. Students and faculty expect these experiences to increase cultural competency; however, research on outcomes of these programs has lacked rigor. Over a 4-year period, groups of nursing and other health professions students spent 3 weeks in Peru providing primary care and health education. Students attended pre-departure seminars addressing personal travel health and safety, culture and health care in Peru, working with interpreters, and ethics of international health care. Student participants (N=77) completed an instrument assessing self-perceived cultural competency before and after the experience. Results of pre- and post-immersion scores showed significant increases in perceived cultural competency and increased self-efficacy in cultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes for four groups of students. Implications and future directions are discussed and recommended.

Equity in health and health care in Peru, 2004 - 2008

This study evaluates whether recent positive economic trends and pro-poor health policies have resulted in more health equity and explores key factors that explain such change. This study focuses on the evolution of measures of health status (self-reported morbidity) and use of health care services obtained from the 2004 and 2008 rounds of the Peruvian National Household Survey (Encuesta Nacional de Hogares). It concentrates on health inequalities associated with socioeconomic status and uses interquintile differences (gradient), concentration indices with and without needs-based adjustments, and decomposition analysis. Findings show a low level of inequality in measures of health status, with a slightly pro-poor inequality in self-reported health problems and a slightly pro-rich inequality in self-reported chronic illness. Inequity in the use of curative services declined significantly between 2004 and 2008, while inequity in the use of preventive services increased slightly. Use of hospital and dental services remained unchanged during the same period. Limitations of self-reported morbidity measures probably underestimate the results of health inequalities across socioeconomic groups. Improved equity in the use of curative health services can be explained by a number of positive factors that occurred concurrently during the analysis-namely, increased mean household income, reduced economic inequality, the Juntos conditional cash transfer program, and gradual expansion of public health insurance, Seguro Integral de Salud (SIS). Given that SIS expansion is the main public policy for promoting health equity in Peru, it is crucial that future steps in expansion come with a strategy to isolate its contribution to health equity improvements from that of other positive socioeconomic trends.

Bribery in Health Care in Peru and Uganda

In this paper, I examine the role of household income in determining who bribes and how much they bribe in health care in Peru and Uganda. I find that rich patients are more likely than other patients to bribe in public health care: doubling household consumption increases the bribery probability by 0.2-0.4 percentage points in Peru, compared to a bribery rate of 0.8%; doubling household expenditure in Uganda increases the bribery probability by 1.2 percentage points compared to a bribery rate of 17%. The income elasticity of the bribe amount cannot be precisely estimated in Peru, but is about 0.37 in Uganda. Bribes in the Ugandan public sector appear to be fees-for-service extorted from the richer patients amongst those exempted by government policy from paying the official fees. Bribes in the private sector appear to be flat-rate fees paid by patients who do not pay official fees. I do not find evidence that the public health care sector in either Peru or Uganda is able to price-discriminate less effectively than public institutions with less competition from the private sector.

The Privatization of Health Care in Peru

The health sector in Peru has undergone significant change in recent years, as state-administered systems are replaced with private and for-profit ones. Jim Yong Kim, A.D.A. Shakow and J. Bayona look at how the policy shift has gone forward with significant input from US planners, and bears close correspondence to the American private health care model. Such health reforms, they contend, are upheld with little attention to their empirical value as instruments to improve health outcomes in poor countries.

Heading for Better Health Care in Peru

Heading for Better Health Care in Peru

Heading for Better Health Care in Peru

Heading for Better Health Care in Peru

Points: Basic health care in Peru

Points: Basic health care in Peru

"All for health and health for all": a study of basic health care in Peru.

The stratification of society is reflected in the health services in Peru. Private medical care is excellent but the state health service is overcrowded too far for poor people to travel to and underfinanced. The military government began a program of hospital construction in provincial towns and the Se Ci Gra program in which newly graduated doctors have to work for a year or 2 in whatever part of the country they are sent. Increasing the number of doctors and hospitals fails to prevent disease. Teaching the population good sanitary and nutritional practices would be a better way to help the health of the poor in rural areas. International agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) supervise vaccinations and outbreaks of malign tertian malaria. One health service emphasising education of the people is organized by 4 Benedictine monks in San Juan de Lurigancho a barrio in Lima. Volunteer women from the parish receive training in essential health care child care nutrition and hygiene. In the village of Lechemayo the medical auxilliary diagnoses sickness dispenses drugs vaccinates the villagers teaches schoolchildren and advises women about raising their children. The medical auxilliarys training is much less than a doctors and his clinic lacks facilities for prolonged or intensive care. The clinic however is an adjunct of a hospital in the larger village of San Francisco where preventive medicine is practiced.