Organization Of Health Care Provision Research Articles

De l'organisation de l'offre de soins aux inégalités d'accès aux soins : la prise en charge du cancer du sein en Ile-de-France

De l'organisation de l'offre de soins aux inégalités d'accès aux soins : la prise en charge du cancer du sein en Ile-de-France

Has healthcare rationalisation been rationale? Hospital beds and Covid-19 in Italy

The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the existence of a hospital bed shortage in Italy, as a result of a longstanding trend. The article analyses this process by an international comparison with other Western European countries, highlighting the intensity of hospital bed reduction in Italy, as a fundamental component of NHS rationalisation. Although it was based on solid grounds, international data suggest that hospital bed reduction was probably excessive, depriving the NHS of organisational slack. Moreover, de-hospitalisation would have been matched with a stronger development of primary and community care. The relative shortage of these services, along with the lack of integrated networks between hospital and non-hospital care, explains many difficulties experienced by hospitals in tackling Covid patients. Beyond investments in health care, these elements call to re-think the organisation of health care provision at local level, questioning the purchaser-provider split.

HEALTH CARE PROVISION FOR CHILDREN WITH DIABETES IN UKRAINE

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common human diseases that lead to disability and death. According to the reports of Ministry of Health, in Ukraine at the end of 2018 there were about 1,300,000 diabetic patients and 9,000 of them were children under 18 years of age. The sooner a child is diagnosed with diabetes, the more likely he/she is to save from the complications that cause disability and premature death. Solving issues on diabetes is one of the top priorities of national health systems. Purpose. The paper is aimed at the study of current health care provision for children with diabetes. Methods and Material. The steps in organization of health care provision for children with diabetes in Ukraine have been studied. The following methods have been used: bibliosemantic: for the analysis of scientific literature; content-analysis: to study the regulatory framework; system analysis: to analyze the organizational provision of health care for children with diabetes. Results. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by the destruction of beta cells, which leads to absolute insulin deficiency. About 75% of all type 1 diabetes cases are diagnosed in people under 18 years of age. Children and adolescents are assigned to a special category of patients who need more attention from physicians. Children find it difficult to understand what negative manifestations and the development of specific complications, leading to early disability, can be caused by a persistent and long-term decompensation of the disease. Based on the Adapted Clinical Guidelines for Type 1 Diabetes, the Working Group has developed Unified Clinical Protocols for Type 1 Diabetes in Young People and Adults and Type 1 Diabetes in Children, using evidence-based provisions for the effectiveness of medical interventions, which also served as the basis for identifying quality indicators for the health care provision for patients with type 1 diabetes. The main directions of the developed therapeutic and rehabilitation approach to medical assistance for patients with type 1 diabetes are the provision of medical, psychological and social assistance by multidisciplinary teams, involving an endocrinologist, specialists (therapist, neurologist, ophthalmologist, nephrologist, pediatrician), a social worker, a guidance counselor at the Diabetes School, a nurse. First of all, it is necessary to raise the awareness of physicians, especially at the primary level. The improvement of outpatient and in-patient care for children with diabetes, involving children themselves and their parents is also relevant. It is important to organize and provide an effective school for diabetes awareness and self-control. It is indisputably necessary to constantly and continuously monitor the state of clinical and metabolic compensation of diabetes. Attention should be paid to the need for more active use of the advanced technologies, such as pump insulin therapy. The main components of treatment are diet and insulin therapy, which the child must keep to throughout the whole life to compensate his/her health state. The role of the international diabetes movement in overcoming the diabetes epidemic in Ukraine and worldwide is noteworthy, since it called on all nations to adopt National Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Programs. Consequently, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, together with international and national experts, has developed a number of fundamental legal acts that initiate structural changes in the health care system. Conclusion. Ukraine is one of the countries with the highest incidence of diabetes. Currently, there is a very significant increase in the incidence of diabetes among children of preschool and school age. Therefore, solving issues on diabetes is one of the top priorities of national health systems. Consequently, the life of a sick child depends on the level of organization of medical and social assistance. It is crucial that awareness and support for diabetes self-management, drug therapy and psychosocial assistance be provided from the time of diagnosis and regularly thereafter. Living a long life with diabetes is possible in proper disease control and prevention. In recent years, diabetes treatment has improved, though it has not solved all the problems. The novel modes of treatment are being actively implemented, namely, insulin analogues and insulin pumps.

Selection of a geographic area of interest for syndromic surveillance

Selection of a geographic area of interest for syndromic surveillance

Sexual and reproductive healthcare for women asylum seekers in Switzerland: a multi-method evaluation

BackgroundForced migration significantly endangers health. Women face numerous health risks, including sexual violence, lack of contraception, sexually transmitted disease, and adverse perinatal outcomes. Therefore, sexual and reproductive healthcare is a significant aspect of women asylum seekers’ health.Even when healthcare costs of asylum seekers are covered by the government, there may be strong barriers to healthcare access and specific needs may be addressed inadequately. The study’s objectives were a) to assess the accommodation and healthcare services provided to women asylum seekers in standard and specialised health care, b) to assess the organisation of healthcare provision and how it addresses the sexual and reproductive healthcare needs of women asylum seekers.MethodsThe study utilised a multi-method approach, comprising a less-dominant quantitative component and dominant qualitative component. The quantitative component assessed accommodation conditions for women in eight asylum centres using a survey. The qualitative component assessed healthcare provision on-site, using semi-structured interviews with health and social care professionals (n = 9). Asylum centres were selected to cover a wide range of characteristics. Interview analysis was guided by thematic analysis.ResultsThe accommodation in the asylum centres provided gender-separate rooms and sanitary infrastructure. Two models of healthcare were identified, which differed in the services they provided and in their organisation: 1) a standard healthcare model characterised by a lack of coordination between healthcare providers, unavailability of essential services such as interpreters, and fragmented healthcare, and 2) a specialised healthcare model specifically tailored to the needs of asylum-seekers. Its organisation is characterised by a network of closely collaborating health professionals. It provided essential services not present in the standard model. We recommend the specialised healthcare model as a guideline for best practise.ConclusionsThe standard, non-specialised healthcare model used in some regions in Switzerland does not fully meet the healthcare needs of women asylum seekers. Specialised healthcare services used in other regions, which include translation services as well as gender and culturally sensitive care, are better suited to address these needs. More widespread use of this model would contribute significantly toward protecting the sexual and reproductive integrity and health of women asylum seekers.

A Multilevel Analysis of the determinants of emergency care visits by the elderly in France

BackgroundRising numbers of visits to emergency departments (EDs), especially amongst the elderly, is a source of pressure on hospitals and on the healthcare system. This study aims to establish the determinants of ED visits in France at a territorial level with a focus on the impact of ambulatory care organisation on ED visits by older adults aged 65 years and over. MethodsWe use multilevel regressions to analyse how the organisation of healthcare provision at municipal and wider ‘department’ levels impacts ED utilisation by the elderly while controlling for the local demographic, socioeconomic and health context of the area in which patients live. ResultsED visits vary significantly by health context and economic level of municipalities. Controlling for demand-side factors, ED rates by the elderly are lower in areas where accessibility to primary care is high, measured as availability of primary care professionals, out-of-hours care and home visits in an area. Proximity (distance) and size of ED are drivers of ED use. ConclusionHigh rates of ED visits are partly linked to inadequate accessibility of health services provided in ambulatory settings. Redesigning ambulatory care at local level, in particular by improving accessibility and continuity of primary and social care services for older adults could reduce ED visits and, therefore, improve the efficient use of available healthcare resources.

THE LINES OF IMPROVING HEALTH CARE PROVISION TO NAVY SHIP CREWS

The organization of health care provision to navy sheep crews is a priority issue for all studies related to navy medicine. The current state of navy forces, the concepts of the deployment of navy forces, and their further development reinforce the topicality of the scientific investigations of medical services in navy ships. The analysis of medical services in the waterborne ships of the Northern Fleet uncovered a number of problems. Morbidity parameters suggest the inadequacy of diagnostics and in-depth medical examinations of ship crews. This necessitates a broader outlook on the professional training of navy medical specialists at all of its levels. The fundament of health care provision to navy forces must be constituted by preventive and therapeutic work accounting of all factors and conditions that may make impacts on its organization.