Outpatient Department Services Research Articles

Enhancing Patient Experience through Digital Transformation: A Case Study of Outpatient Department Services in Hospitals

Enhancing Patient Experience through Digital Transformation: A Case Study of Outpatient Department Services in Hospitals

Disparities in satisfaction among insured and uninsured adult outpatient department service users in Southern Ethiopia, 2022: a comparative cross-sectional study

BackgroundPatient satisfaction is a critical measure of the quality of healthcare services provided by healthcare facilities. However, very few studies, particularly in Ethiopia, which includes the study area, have specifically examined these discrepancies among people who use outpatient care. In this study, satisfaction levels and associated factors were compared between insured and uninsured patients receiving outpatient services at public health institutions in Hadiya Zone, southern Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based comparative cross-sectional study design was employed on 630 patients using multistage and systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a pretested and structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Results of the analysis were presented in text, tables, and graphs as appropriate. Multivariable logistic regression was used to predict associations between predictors and the outcome variable. Statistical significance was declared at p-value < 0.05.ResultsOverall, 344(55.48%) patients were satisfied with the service they received, of which 206(65.8%) out of 313 with a 95% CI [60.7–71.2%] were insured and 138(44.95%) out of 307 with a 95% CI [39.4–5.1%] were uninsured. Among insured patients, factors associated with higher satisfaction included having a family size less than five members [AOR = 3.3, 95% CI; 1.5, 7.4], perceived fair waiting time to be seen[AOR = 2.35, 95% CI; 1.02, 5.5], perceived short waiting time to be seen[AOR = 8.12, 95% CI; 1.6, 41.3], having all ordered laboratory tests available within the facility[AOR = 7.89, 95% CI; 3.5, 17.5], having some ordered laboratory tests within the facility[AOR = 2.97, 95% CI; 1.25, 7.01] having all prescribed medications available within the facility[AOR = 16.11, 95% CI; 6.25, 41.5], having some prescribed medications available within the facility[AOR = 13.11, 95% CI; 4.7, 36.4]. Among non-insured patients, factors associated with higher satisfaction included urban residency, a fair and short perceived time to be seen, having ordered laboratory tests within the facility, and having prescribed drugs within the facility.ConclusionThis study identified lower overall satisfaction, particularly among uninsured patients. Enrollment in the CBHI program significantly impacted satisfaction, with both groups reporting lower levels compared to enrollment periods. Access to essential services, wait times, and socio-demographic factors identified as associated factors with patient satisfaction regardless of insurance status.

Factors associated with hospitalization in a pediatric population of rural Tanzania: findings from a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundDespite pediatric acute illnesses being leading causes of death and disability among children, acute and critical care services are not universally available in low-middle income countries, such as Tanzania, even if in this country significant progress has been made in child survival, over the last 20 years. In these countries, the hospital emergency departments may represent the only or the main point of access to health-care services. Thus, the hospitalization rates may reflect both the health system organization and the patients’ health status. The purpose of the study is to describe the characteristics of clinical presentations to a pediatric Outpatient Department (OPD) in Tanzania and to identify the predictive factors for hospitalization.MethodsRetrospective cohort study based on 4,324 accesses in the OPD at Tosamaganga Voluntary Agency Hospital (Tanzania). Data were collected for all 2,810 children (aged 0–13) who accessed the OPD services, within the period 1 January − 30 September 2022. The association between the hospitalization (main outcome) and potential confounding covariates (demographic, socio-contextual and clinical factors) was evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.ResultsFive hundred three (11.6%) of OPD accesses were hospitalized and 17 (0.4%) died during hospitalization. A higher (p < 0.001) risk of hospitalization was observed for children without health insurance (OR = 3.26), coming from more distant districts (OR = 2.83), not visited by a pediatric trained staff (OR = 3.58), and who accessed for the following conditions: burn/wound (OR = 70.63), cardiovascular (OR = 27.36), constitutional/malnutrition (OR = 62.71), fever (OR = 9.79), gastrointestinal (OR = 8.01), respiratory (OR = 12.86), ingestion/inhalation (OR = 17.00), injury (OR = 6.84).ConclusionsThe higher risk of hospitalization for children without health insurance, and living far from the district capital underline the necessity to promote the implementation of primary care, particularly in small villages, and the establishment of an efficient emergency call and transport system. The observation of lower hospitalization risk for children attended by a pediatric trained staff confirm the necessity of preventing admissions for conditions that could be managed in other health settings, if timely evaluated.

Value of pharmacy services for common illness symptoms covered by universal coverage at drugstore compared to outpatient services at a hospital in Thailand.

Drug stores is an option that people can receive health care services for their common illnesses. This is the first study aims to estimate cost savings for 16 common illness symptoms to the Thailand's health system. This study gathered retrospective secondary data from several studies and surveyed the median cost of medicines. Cost savings of care provided by pharmacists at drug stores in comparison to out-patient department (OPD) services at hospitals were quantified using cost of illness approach. The average number of hospital visits for treatment for 16 common illness symptoms was 2,356 visits per month. The estimation of the cost savings per visit from three perspectives, including government, patient, and societal, at tertiary care hospitals were 12.7-19.4, 12.7-25.6, and 18.9-25.6 USD, and at secondary care hospitals were 6.0-12.7, 6.0-18.9, and 12.2-18.9 USD. Every $1 reimbursed at drug stores will save additional costs in Thailand's health system, ranging from $0.04 to $0.24 and $0.02 to $0.16 at tertiary care hospitals and secondary hospitals, respectively. Pharmacy services for 16 common illness symptoms can clearly save costs.

Using simulation modelling to transform hospital planning and management to address health inequalities

Health inequalities are a perennial concern for policymakers and in service delivery to ensure fair and equitable access and outcomes. As health inequalities are socially influenced by employment, income, and education, this impacts healthcare services among socio-economically disadvantaged groups, making it a pertinent area for investigation in seeking to promote equitable access. Researchers widely acknowledge that health equity is a multi-faceted problem requiring approaches to understand the complexity and interconnections in hospital planning as a precursor to healthcare delivery. Operations research offers the potential to develop analytical models and frameworks to aid in complex decision-making that has both a strategic and operational function in problem-solving. This paper develops a simulation-based modelling framework (SimulEQUITY) to model the complexities in addressing health inequalities at a hospital level. The model encompasses an entire hospital operation (including inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department services) using the discrete-event simulation method to simulate the behaviour and performance of real-world systems, processes, or organisations. The paper makes a sustained contribution to knowledge by challenging the existing population-level planning approaches in healthcare that often overlook individual patient needs, especially within disadvantaged groups. By holistically modelling an entire hospital, socio-economic variations in patients' pathways are developed by incorporating individual patient attributes and variables. This innovative framework facilitates the exploration of diverse scenarios, from processes to resources and environmental factors, enabling key decision-makers to evaluate what intervention strategies to adopt as well as the likely scenarios for future patterns of healthcare inequality. The paper outlines the decision-support toolkit developed and the practical application of the SimulEQUITY model through to implementation within a hospital in the UK. This moves hospital management and strategic planning to a more dynamic position where a software-based approach, incorporating complexity, is implicit in the modelling rather than simplification and generalisation arising from the use of population-based models.

Awareness of Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Myocardial Infarction among High - Risk Patients Who are Seeking Services in Outpatient Departments

Awareness of Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Myocardial Infarction among High - Risk Patients Who are Seeking Services in Outpatient Departments

Can the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) System Help in Improving the Healthcare Access - Evidence from Maharashtra EMS.

For many people in the remote regions of India, medical help is inaccessible as 66% of rural Indians do not have access to critical medicine and 31% of the population travel more than 30 km seeking health care in rural India. Timely non-availability of doctors in healthcare facilities, especially in primary health centers (PHCs), leads to more dependency on the private healthcare practitioners for the out-patient department services. This needs immediate attention. The healthcare authority in Maharashtra has allowed doctors in 108 emergency ambulances to provide consulting services. The current study is based on the total consultations managed by the doctors on-board on the 108 ambulances in the state of Maharashtra in the years 2020, 2021, and 2022. The data are procured from the state-run Emergency Response Centre, and the analysis is done by using the basic statistical technique in MS Excel and SPSS16.0. More than 9.35 lakh medical consultations were provided with an average 856 consultations per ambulance in the year 2022, showing a significant growth of 452% over the consultations in 2020. The base location of the 32% ambulance (298) in the PHCs has improved the round the clock accessibility in 16% of the total PHCs in the state of Maharashtra. The availability of the doctors in the state-run emergency ambulances for general healthcare services has improved the adherence of Indian Public Health Standards, and such practice must be examined for implementation in other states.

Factors affecting utilization of outpatient healthcare services among the elderly population in Butiama and Musoma districts, Tanzania: A community-based cross-sectional study.

In Tanzania and Sub-Saharan Africa, the elderly population has grown significantly due to improved quality of life, subsequently leading to prolonged life expectancy. Despite global development initiatives, elders still face insufficient care. Through a community-based investigation, this study assessed outpatient department (OPD) healthcare utilization and its determinants among the elderly in Butiama and Musoma districts, Tanzania. This study involved 415 elderly individuals aged 60 or older in Tanzania's Butiama and Musoma districts. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data, and the results were analyzed using SPSS 22. Univariate analysis utilized descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis involved cross-tabulation data, and multivariate logistic regression identified factors influencing OPD service utilization. Approximately 43.4% of participants used OPD services in the past year. Divorced or separated individuals were over two times more likely to utilize OPD services compared to single participants. This association was statistically significant (OR 1.958; 95% CI 1.001-3.829; p = 0.05). About 74.5% of surveyed elders held a positive perception of OPD utilization. Although not statistically significant (p>0.05), individuals with a positive perception had 1.167 times higher odds of using OPD services (95% CI 0.746-1.826). This study highlights a low overall utilization rate of OPD healthcare services among the elderly. Elderly individuals aged 80 years or older, along with widowed or divorced individuals, encounter specific barriers when accessing healthcare services. Positive perceptions play a crucial role in influencing healthcare utilization. It is essential to proactively offer tailored support and conduct further research, specifically addressing the distinct needs of divorced and widowed individuals when seeking healthcare services.

Patient Satisfaction with the Outpatient Department Services at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India and Root Cause Analysis of the Lowest-Scoring Attribute using Fishbone Diagram.

Assessing patients' satisfaction is an easy and cost-effective method of evaluating the outpatient services provided by health-care institutions. The objectives of this study were to determine patient satisfaction among patients attending various outpatient departments (OPDs) at a tertiary care hospital and the factors affecting their satisfaction. A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending various OPDs at a tertiary care hospital in Faridabad. Exit face-to-face interviews were conducted for 334 patients above 18 years of age who availed OPD services followed by pharmacy services. Information regarding sociodemography, rating of satisfaction with various attributes of OPD services on a 5-point Likert scale, and reasons for dissatisfaction was collected. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Root cause analysis for the lowest-scoring attribute was done using fishbone diagram. About 64% of the patients were satisfied with the OPD services. "Attitude and communication of doctors" was the prime contributor to patient satisfaction. "Promptness at medicine distribution counter" was the attribute that scored lowest followed by "waiting time at the registration counter." The mean waiting time for registration was 38.2 min, for consultation with doctor 41.3 min, for collection of samples 49.6 min, and for drug dispensing 61 min. The issues related to pharmacy services need to be promptly acknowledged and addressed.

Assessment of the patient satisfaction level with outpatient department services in a tertiary care hospital of Jammu region

Background: Outpatient department (OPD) is that section of the hospital which is staffed and equipped to provide diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative care to those patients who are not registered as inpatients while receiving the services during scheduled working hours. Objective of the study was to assess the patient satisfaction level with OPD services in a tertiary-care hospital of Jammu region. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients visiting the OPD of the SMGS hospital GMC Jammu from January to March 2023. Exit interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire among patients availing the services from OPD. Results: Average percentage of total satisfaction score among sampled OPD patients has come out to be 68.13% whereas total average dissatisfaction score was 20.87% and the total average mild dissatisfaction score as 11.00%. Conclusions: This study suggests that patients were satisfied to a larger extent with OPD services except a few which are least satisfied especially with waiting time at registration counter.

Prevalence and Genotype Distribution of Hepatitis C Virus Infection at Zonal Hospital in Northern India

Abstract Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health concern. Persons living with HCV infection are at risk of developing liver cirrhosis and progressing to end-stage liver disease and liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma). The present study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of HCV infection in patients admitted as well as outpatient department services of a Zonal Hospital. Methods: The present study was cross-sectional, observational study, conducted in patients &gt;18 years of age, clinically suspected acute infectious hepatitis or admitted to the intensive care unit, and willing to participate in the study. Results: In the present study, 472 patients were studied for hepatitis C infection. Majority of cases were from 51 to 60 years age group (34.5%), followed by 61–70 years age group (26.7%). Female cases were (51.3%) slightly more than male (48.7%). Rapid method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods detected HCV prevalence as 5.7% and 12.5%, respectively. After HCV genotype testing, the prevalence was 12.1%. Majority had 3A genotype (69.49%), followed by 1A genotype (16.95%), 1B genotype (8.47%), 3B genotype (3.39%), and 4 genotypes (1.69%). ELISA testing was significantly correlated with HCV genotype testing (P = 0.017) while the rapid method was not correlated with HCV genotype testing (P = 0.937). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of HCV among the suspected, genotype 3 being the most common.

Analysis of the Effect of Work Stress and Workload on Work Performance in FMC Bogor Hospital Nurses in 2023

The hospital provides services in inpatient, outpatient and emergency departments. The increase in the number of hospitals every year from 2016 amounted to 2046, expanding in 2021 to a total of 2514 public hospitals in Indonesia. (Statistics Center data for 2016-2021). This shows that the level of hospital competition is getting tighter, so the demands for hospitals to improve nurse performance are getting higher. Work performance can be affected by several things, including stress and workload based; research in local Indian hospitals showed 34% of nurses experienced moderate stress, and as many as 2% experienced high stress, to cause physical and mental health problems; another study involving nurse subjects at Makassar hospital also showed nurses who experienced stress and felt a heavy workload until work performance decreased by 91.7%. This study aims to see the relationship and significant influence between work stress and nurse workload on nurses' work performance. The research method is a cross-sectional analytical study and a method of research sampling with total sampling techniques. The results of univariate studies showed that most subjects were female, 65.7%, age range 26-30 years, high level of work stress (53.9%), and moderate workload (76.3%). The bivariate results in this study showed a relationship between nurses' work stress and workload (p value 0.024). Research shows no workload relationship to work performance (p value 0.84). The results of multivariate analysis with logistic regression showed that the variable work stress was associated with p value 0.011, with high stress having 11,014 times and low stress 3.522 against low work performance. The conclusion of the study can be seen in the relationship of work performance variables to stress, and high stress causes nurses to have a risk of 11,014 times experiencing low work performance.

Growth of community-based immunotherapy treatment in the Veterans Health Administration.

The MISSION and CHOICE Acts expanded the Veterans Health Administration's (VA) capacity to purchase immunotherapy services for VA patients from community-based providers. Our objective was to identify predictors of community-based immunotherapy treatment, and assess differences in cost and utilization across community treatment settings METHODS: We examined claims for 21,257 patients who started immunotherapy treatment between 2015 and 2020. We assessed growth in VA community-based immunotherapy care, predictors of community-based immunotherapy treatment using multivariable logistic regression based on patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. We compared utilization and costs among those who received community-based immunotherapy services in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) versus physician office settings (POs). The proportion of community-based immunotherapy in the VA increased from 5.3% in 2015 to 32.1% in 2020, with total annual costs of immunotherapy growing from $6.1 million to $187 million. Older, married, and rural patients and those with more comorbidities were more likely than younger, single, or urban patients to be treated in the community. Black patients were more likely to be treated in the VA. Respiratory Cancer was the most common cancer type in both settings. Among community immunotherapy patients, we observed no meaningful differences in the number of units administered, the unit drug costs, or the cost per immunotherapy visit between POs and HOPDs. Drug costs did not differ widely across HOPDs and POs among VA patients who receive community-based immunotherapy.

Analysis of patient demographics and attendance at a Far North Queensland public dermatology outpatient clinic.

There is limited literature focussing on the demographics of patients presenting to public dermatology outpatient clinics, with an even smaller amount focussing on clinics in regional Australia. This study presents the first patient demographic analysis for the Cairns Hospital's Dermatology Outpatient Department and analyses the cohort of patients who did not attend their appointments. In doing so, it recommends potential strategies that should be considered to address the issues of patient absenteeism and wait times in a regional setting, while also suggesting future data points that should be collected for analysis. A 4-year retrospective cohort study using demographic data from all referrals with medical officers (N = 10,333) from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2021 at the Cairns Hospital Dermatology Outpatient Department. The hospital is the only facility with a dermatology service within the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service. Data were extracted from the Cairns Hinterland Analytical Intelligence (CHAI) system. Data pertaining to patient demographics, attendance of appointments, triage categories and wait times were collected and reviewed for patients referred during the study period. The Dermatology Outpatient Department services an ever-growing and diverse patient cohort. Barriers to access and long wait times exist for patients referred to the Department. Strategies to combat these issues, such as an increase in funding and resourcing, should be considered to better optimise patient care and the utilisation of health resources.

Psychiatric morbidities among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus attending outpatient department in a rural area of North India.

Both diabetes mellitus and psychiatric morbidities are widely prevalent diseases which show a discerning upward trend globally. Coexistence of diabetes and psychiatric morbidities usually manifests as impaired quality of life and poor treatment adherence. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidities among rural diabetic patients and to determine their association with different variables. The present cross-sectional study was conducted in CHC of Rural Health Block attached with PG Department of Community Medicine GMC (Government Medical College) Jammu. The eligible diabetic patients attending medical outpatient department services were enrolled using a consecutive sampling method. DAS scale was used to assess psychiatric morbidity among the study subjects. The findings revealed that the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in the study participants was 38.9%, 68.5% and 25.64% for depression, anxiety and stress, respectively. Psychiatric morbidities were slightly higher in female patients and were significantly associated with age, marital status, sedentary lifestyle, history of substance abuse, duration of diabetes, presence of complications and underlying morbidities (P < 0.05). The prevalence of anxiety and depression among rural diabetic patients was found to be quite high. Diabetic patients need thorough screening for psychiatric evaluation, and there is an urgent need for psychiatric counselling at regular intervals.

The German Development Bank as a policy entrepreneur for social health protection: a case study of the development and implementation of the ‘Sehat Sahulat Programme’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Background The German Development Bank (KfW) supported the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP) to design and implement its first social health protection (SHP) scheme, named the Sehat Sahulat Programme (SSP). We described the role of KfW in the evolution of SSP with a view to identifying transferrable lessons for international development agencies working on similar initiatives in socioeconomically comparable contexts. Methods We employed a qualitative instrumental case study design approach. First, we obtained and analysed key programme documents to describe the chronology of events and policy changes. We then undertook in-depth interviews to understand factors influencing policy changes. Finally, we carried out non-participant observations to understand how policy decisions were made and implemented. We employed maximum variation sampling to recruit participants and conducted a thematic analysis of data. Results SSP was described by GoKP officials as an innovative financing strategy and a flagship project of the government formed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). First, programme officials reported that KfW was instrumental in both designing and financing SSP, which had plans to provide free health insurance to low-income families and raise revenue through paid enrollment of the wealthy (solidarity). Second, GoKP deviated from this model and covered the entire population of KP free of cost. Through SSP, GoKP envisaged service provision through private hospitals (subsidiarity). In the third year, GoKP included public sector hospitals in the programme. Although planned supplementary insurance products might result in inequitable utilisation, KfW continued supporting SSP and committed funding for piloting outpatient department services for two years, 2023 and 2024. Conclusions This in-depth case study has highlighted the potentially positive role of international development assistance in introducing innovative financing strategies to promote universal health coverage. However, development partners might have limited control over how things evolve.

(014) Testosterone Therapy in Females Is Not Associated with Increased Cardiovascular Risk – A US Claims Database Analysis

Abstract Introduction Testosterone therapy (TT) has been shown to improve libido in females with sexual dysfunction; however, utilization of TT has been limited in part due to concern for increased cardiovascular risk. Objective Our objective was to assess the association of TT in females with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) using a large claims database. Methods A US-based claims database (TriNetX Diamond Network) of over 200 million patients was queried from 2009 to 2022. Our study cohort included adult (18+) females with three or more injectable or topical testosterone prescriptions excluding those with heart failure (ICD-10 I50), unstable angina (I20.0), intersex surgery female to male (CPT 55980), personal history of sex reassignment (Z87.890), and gender identity disorders (F64). Our control cohort excluded females with any testosterone prescriptions, heart failure, intersex surgery female to male, personal history of sex reassignment, gender identity disorder, unstable angina, polycystic ovary syndrome (E28.2), or androgen excess (E28.1). Propensity-matching between the cohorts was performed for age, ethnicity, race, estrogen usage (HS300), family history of cardiovascular disease (Z82.4), tobacco usage (Z72.0), type 2 diabetes (E11), hyperlipidemia (E78), hypertensive diseases (I10-16), and utilization of outpatient (1013626), inpatient (1013659), or emergency department services (1013711). MACE was defined as heart attack (I21, I22), stroke (I60, I61, I62, I63), or death within three years of the index event. We evaluated the association of TT to MACE, upper or lower emboli or DVT (I82.4, I82.6), pulmonary embolism (PE) (I26), breast neoplasm (C50), and hirsutism (L68.0). A sub-analysis by age-based stratification (18-55-year-old and &amp;gt;55-year-old) was also conducted. Results Adult females with ≥3 testosterone prescriptions (n=8,457) were compared to an equivalent number of propensity-score matched controls (Table 1). Compared to matched controls, those with testosterone prescriptions had similar odds of MACE (odds ratio (OR) 0.80 [95% CI 0.60, 1.07]) and PE (OR 0.77 [0.41, 1.46]); significantly lower odds of upper or lower emboli or DVT (OR 0.59 [0.35, 0.99]) and breast neoplasm (OR 0.43 [0.32, 0.59]); and higher odds of hirsutism (OR 2.34 [1.28, 4.29]). This trend remained in the age 18-55 years group (n=5,951): MACE (OR 0.67 [0.37, 1.21]), breast neoplasm (OR 0.41 [0.24, 0.70]), and hirsutism (OR 1.45 [0.79, 2.64]) (Table 2). A similar trend was observed amongst &amp;gt;55-year-olds (n=2,582): MACE (OR 1.18 [0.81, 1.72]), upper or lower emboli or DVT (OR 0.89 [0.45, 1.75]), and breast neoplasm (OR 0.49 [0.33, 0.72]) (Table 2). Odds ratios could not be calculated for any patient counts less than 10 (Table 2). Conclusions In this large claims-based analysis, we showed systemic TT in women does not increase the odds of MACE or PE, and is protective against upper and lower emboli or DVTs and breast neoplasm. Our results suggest that TT in women may be safe, enabling physicians to provide appropriate therapy to women with sexual dysfunction. Disclosure No

Voices From the Community: Maternal Healthcare Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on health services around the world. Many hospitals and clinics were overwhelmed by the influx of patients, leading to delays and disruptions in care. The fear of contracting the virus also led to a decrease in the number of people seeking medical care, even for urgent or life-threatening conditions. Various studies have reported a decrease in overall utilization of maternal health services. However, it remains vital to find the reasons for reduced utilization along with the experiences of the women as well as healthcare workers during the pandemic. Objective The objective of this study was to identify the facilitators and barriers to maternal healthcare services utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods It was a qualitative study conducted in a rural area of Haryana, India. Twelve in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with health workers and four focused group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with pregnant women. Textual analysis was done for both IDIs as well as FGDs. Qualitative analysis was done manually. Results The identified themes were complete cessation of services, no outpatient department (OPD) services for many months, no antenatal care (ANC) services for two months, disruption of supply of medicines, unavailability of drugs, fear of getting COVID-19 infection, mandatory COVID-19 negativereport for admission in hospital, and increased referral from government health facilities during the pandemic and lockdown. Conclusion Maternal healthcare services suffered during COVID-19 for various reasons including the closure of health facilities, limited supply of stocks, or fear of the disease among pregnant women. This evidence can be used to prepare as well as manage healthcare services in future.

Assessment of a Price Index for Hospital Outpatient Department Services Using Commercial Claims Data in Massachusetts

This cross-sectional study assesses a market basket price index to evaluate hospital outpatient department price levels and growth.

Initiation of the First Preventive Health and Screening Outpatient Department in a Tertiary Teaching Hospital in India.

Background The Preventive Health and Screening Outpatient Department (OPD) was started in Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, India with the vision of promoting health (primordial and primary prevention), counseling, screening, early diagnosis, and treatment and referral services (secondary prevention). The objective of the study is to describe the process of establishing the Preventive Health and Screening OPD in a tertiary hospital in Delhi and illustrate the functioning of the newly established OPD. Methodology This study is based on observation of the day-to-day functioning of the OPD, record checking of registers, and reviewing the records of the hospital registration system. Here, we describe the functioning of the OPD from its initiation in October 2021 until December 2022. Results The routine services provided at the OPD include health promotion and education, especially focusing on non-communicable diseases, screening, diagnosis, treatment, lifestyle counseling; general OPD services; growth monitoring and counseling; group discussion for harms of tobacco usage; counseling for tobacco cessation, hepatitis B, and dT vaccination; group counseling for antenatal women; and screening for breast cancer. A few events such as the breast cancer screening camp and the non-communicable disease screening camp were also conducted under the purview of the new OPD. Such OPDs are the need of the hour for the provision of comprehensive healthcare, including promotive and preventive healthcare, along with curative health services, at tertiary healthcare levels. Conclusions Healthcare services are incomplete without the preventive, promotive, and screening components of healthcare. For mainstreaming health promotion and preventive healthcare, Preventive Health and Screening OPDs are essential at hospitals. The benefits of prevention extend beyond managing chronic diseases and longer lives.