Mission and service innovation of urban public hospitals in line with the integrated health care ;delivery system / 中华医院管理杂志

The authors reviewed the practice of integrated health care delivery system( IDS) at home and abroad, and based on experiences of collaborations between medical service institutions in Zhejiang province,proposed the strategic positioning,responsibilities and service innovation of urban public hospitals in a regional medical service system. It is held that the direction of China′s health care reform should move towards IDS in the future,and such hospitals should play an active role in the process via integration of its own resource and provide multi-level,diversified services for the regional health care system.

An Analysis of Effects of Differential Coinsurance Policy and Utilization of Outpatients Care by Types of Medical Institutions / 보건행정학회지

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of differential coinsurance policy on prescription drug coverage of outpatients by types of medical institutions. METHODS: In this study, we used a sample cohort database of the National Health Insurance Service and frequency analysis and marginal logistic regression model using generalized estimating equation were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The summary on the major research is followed. First, about 16% of patients who used only tertiary or general hospital due to 52 ambulatory care sensitive conditions before policy implementation moved to hospitals and clinics. However, about 57% of them still use tertiary or general hospital. Second, the factors influencing the utilization of hospitals and clinics after the implementation of the policy were gender, age, and income level. As a result, the policy is effective to reduce the medical use of outpatient mental patients in tertiary or general hospital, but the effect is not significant. CONCLUSION: Therefore, in order to achieve the purpose of the policy for establishing the health care delivery system, it is necessary to adjust the co-payment so as to feel the burden on the co-payment when the outpatient for 52 ambulatory care sensitive conditions is used at the tertiary or general hospital.

Draft national health policy 2015: A critical appraisal.

Revising a health policy of any country is a periodic procedure dependent on the change of demographic profile, current health status of the population including epidemiological changes in disease prevalence pattern, and progress made under the earlier policies. Along with it, newer research revelation of the natural history of the existing and emerging health problems, availability of newer technology as well as changing sociopolitical commitment to improve the health status of the population are the driving forces in the change of policy. Draft National Health Policy (NHP) 2015 is an attempt for the same. A review of the draft has been undertaken. The chapter on introduction is crisp and clear. Situation analysis of the draft is sketchy and without any reference of sources. Shifting the health goal is without any basis, and the objectives defined for the policy change are incongruous with the introduction. A detailed description does not give a clear picture but rather confuses the reader as it talks of comprehensive universal health-care services to be provided with a holistic concept but maximum emphasis is made in the implementation of a national program. Private health-care services are an area to reckon but except for mere references on the involvement in private-public mode, nothing concrete is observed, especially in the primary care level. Involvement envisaged in the secondary and tertiary levels is nebulous. The implementation health insurance program as well as regulatory mechanISM with the existing is also not defined exclusively in the context of a newer health policy.

The direction of reform for health care delivery system

Rebuilding a health care delivery system is one of the most important tasks the Korean health system is facing. Health institutions need to each establish their own appropriate roles in rebuilding the system. Community clinics should act as institutions providing primary care services. Small/medium-sized hospitals should act as community general hospitals or shift their functions to specialized care hospitals. Large hospitals should treat inpatients with severe status and act as education and research institutions. Infrastructure reform is an essential component of rebuilding the system. Reimbursement for health institutions and copayment of patients should change from a cost-based system to a value-based system. It is also important to support the facilitation of cooperation between clinics and hospitals. The classical image of a health delivery system is that of a pyramid (vertical) structure. However, the WHO suggests that a health delivery system should be a network structure. Within this conceptual framework, a community clinic should act as a hub of coordination among health-related community resources. The balance between benefits and drawbacks is essential to adjust among conflicting interests while rebuilding the system.

The direction of reform for enhancing primary care

Many studies have reported extensive evidence of the advantages of primary care in terms of cost, health outcomes, and quality of care. However, primary care in South Korea has continuously shrunk for several decades. In order to enhance primary care in the Korean health care system, the emphasis should be placed on rebuilding a health care delivery system and promoting the essential role of the primary care physician in community clinics. The Community-based Primary Care Project is based on the new models of encouraging doctor-patient relationships for management of chronic disease and primary care functioning as a hub of coordination among health-related community resources. This is an early step in promoting a value-based payment system. Because of the payment system for physicians' motivation and the high degree of satisfaction of patients in this project, the reform of payment system based on the conceptual framework of this project is desirable in the primary care. The primary care of the future will focus on the primary care physicians as a well-trained and highly qualified navigator rather than a gatekeeper.

Determination of normative bone mineral density values in Filipino women

OBJECTIVE: To obtain reference values of bone mineral density (BMD) for Filipino women in order to make a population-specific diagnosis of osteoporosis.SETTING: Osteoporosis Unit, Joint and Bone Center, Section of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines. PARTICIPANTS: 442 healthy Filipino women volunteers recruited from the outpatient department, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Clinic of the University of Santo Tomas Hospital and from within the University of Santo Tomas campus. Subjects with known underlying illness or conditions or intake of drugs that predispose to osteoporosis were excluded from the study. INTERVENTION: Bone mineral density (BMD) measurements, expressed in grams per square centimenter of the lumbar spine, non-dominant femur and non-dominant forearm were done in 442 consecutive healthy Filipino women using the LUNAR DPX-IQ machine. RESULTS: Means and standard deviations of BMD measurements at each site were calculated using Kwikstat software Version 3.6, Release 7. Results were grouped in decades to serve as reference per decade. CONCLUSION: BMD of these 442 healthy Filipino women may serve as an initial reference guide for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in Filipino women.

An assessment of rural health care delivery system in some areas of West Bengal-An overview.

A cross sectional observational study was carried out in three districts of West Bengal by following observational, quantitative and qualitative methods during July to December 2006 to find out the extent of utilization, strengths, weaknesses and gap as well as suggest recommendations in connection with health care delivery system for the state of West Bengal, India. A total of 672 episodes of illnesses were reported (2 weeks recall) by the study population of the three selected districts in three geographically separated divisions of West Bengal. None did seek care from any health facilities for treatment in case of 221 (32.89%) episodes; especially from tribal areas where in case of 76.19% none sought any health care from any facilities depended on their home remedies. In rest of episodes the (451), majority preferred government health facilities (38.58%), followed by Unqualified quacks (29.27%) due to low cost as well as living in close proximity, 27.27% preferred qualified Private practitioners and only 4.88% preferred AYUSH, as a first choice. Referral was mostly by self or by close relatives/families (61%) and not by a doctor. Awareness is required to avoid unnecessary referral. Cleanliness of the premises, face-lift, and clean toilet with privacy and availability of safe drinking water facilities could have an improved client satisfaction in rural health care delivery systems. This could be achieved through community participation with the involvement of PRI. However, as observed in the study RCH services including Family Planning as well as immunization services (preventive services) were utilized much better while there was a strong need of improvement of Post Natal Care, otherwise, Neonatal and Maternal mortality and morbidity will continue to be high.

An Empirical Analysis of Price Elasticity of the Demand for Medical Care Services in Korean National Health Insurance Program / 예방의학회지

This paper tested by using Micro TSP, an empirical econometric analysis to approve officially a hypothesis of price elasticity of the demand for medical care services in Korean national medical insurance and the economic effect of health care delivery system with time-series datas of Medical Insurance statistical yearbook(1981-1993). The results suggest that the korean medical insurance system shows moral hazard due to the change of coinsurance and the economic effect according to intervention of the health care delivery system, but it is different by insurers regardless of the same structure of the medical insurance scheme.