Factors inhibiting and enabling performance-based financing in health care delivery across low and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Background: Emerging financing strategies in the health sector have been developed to improve the impact of investments and enhance healthcare outcomes. One promising approach is Results-based Financing, which establishes a connection between financial incentives and pre-established performance targets. This innovative approach holds the potential to strengthenhealthcare delivery and strengthen overall healthcare systems.Aim:The scoping review endeavored to systematically delineate the body of evidence pertaining tofacilitators and barriers to the implementation of performance-based financing within the realm of healthcare provision in low-and middle-income nations.Methods:The review used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and a Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews checklist to select, appraise, and report the findings. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases and grey literature published between January 2000 and March 2022. We conducted the abstract screening with two independent reviewers. We also performed full-article screening. We used the six methodological frameworks proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. The results were thematically analyzed.Results:Of the 1071 searched studies, 34 met the eligibility criteria. 41% of the studies were descriptive, 26% cross-sectional, 18% trial, and 15% cohort studies. The enabling and inhibiting factors of performance-based financing in healthcaredelivery have been identified. Moreover, the review revealed that performance-based financing's influence on service delivery is context-specific.Conclusion:The facilitators and impediments to the effectiveness of performance-based financing in enhancing service delivery are contingent upon a holistic comprehension of the contextual factors, meticulous design, and efficient execution. Factors such as the level of care facilities, presence of community-based initiatives, stakeholder involvement, and participatory design emerge as key facilitators. Conversely, barriers such as communication obstacles, inadequacies in the PBF models, and deficiencies in the healthcare workforce are recognized as inhibitors. By harnessing the insights derived from a multitude of evidence incorporated in this scrutiny, stakeholders can deftly navigate the intricacies of performance-based financing, while also considering the prospective areas for further exploration and research

Distribución demográfica de especialistas en endocrinología y diabetes, Chile 2022 / Demographic distribution of specialists in endocrinology and diabetes in Chile, 2022

En abril de 2021 el ministerio de salud de Chile da a conocer un estudio que explicita un importante déficit de médicos con especialidades derivadas de la Medicina Interna. En endocrinólogos de adultos se estima un déficit de 14 profesionales en el sistema público de Salud al año 2024, así como un endocrinólogo infantil y 10 diabetólogos; y una lista de espera estimada en 23.000 consultas de la especialidad para 2020. OBJETIVOS: cuantificar el número de especialistas en endocrinología de adultos, infantil y diabetología de nuestro país, y su distribución en nuestro territorio. MÉTODOS: Se realiza la búsqueda de todos los médicos registrados bajo la especialidad endocrinología y diabetología en la Superintendencia de Salud, su distribución por regiones del país, en relación del número de habitantes regional y nacional. RESULTADOS: Existen 340 especialistas en endocrinología y 188 diabetólogos a nivel nacional; 1.93 y 1.33 por cada 100.000 habitantes, respectivamente. El 75% de ellos se registra en las regiones Metropolitana, Valparaíso y Bio Bío. En 5 regiones del país se registra un profesional para toda la región; en una región no se registran profesionales de endocrinología ni diabetología. CONCLUSIONES: Este trabajo da cuenta de una desigual distribución regional de especialistas en endocrinología y diabetes en Chile. Se deben plantear estrategias de corto y mediano plazo para incentivar a especialistas que migren hacia regiones de alta necesidad.

In April 2021, the Ministry of Health of Chile unveiled a report showing a significant deficit of medical doctors with specialties derived from Internal Medicine. In adult endocrinologists, a deficit of 14 professionals in the public health system is estimated as of 2024, as well as one pediatric endocrinologist and 10 diabetologists; and a waiting list estimated of 23,000 consultations for the specialty by 2020. OBJECTIVES: to quantify the number of specialists in adult and pediatric endocrinology and diabetology, and their geographic distribution. METHODS: A search for all physicians registered under the endocrinology and diabetology specialties was carried out in the Superintendence of Health website; their geographic distribution according to regional and national inhabitants was studied. RESULTS: There are 340 endocrinology and 188 diabetes' specialists at the national level, 1.93 and 1.33 per 100.000 inhabitants, respectively. A 75% of them are registered in the Metropolitan, Valparaíso and Bio Bío areas. In five regions, just one professional is registered; there are no endocrinology or diabetology professionals registered in one region. CONCLUSIONS: our work accounts for an unequal regional distribution of specialists in endocrinology and diabetes in Chile. Short- and medium-term strategies should be proposed to encourage specialists to migrate to regions of high demand.

The role of librarians in healthcare interprofessional collaboration: a literature review

Background: As the delivery of healthcare evolves to become more interconnected, coordinating care between nurses, pharmacists, physicians, social workers as well as medical librarians and other disciplines has become increasingly important. Librarians are more deeply involved in ward rounds routine exercise, provision of instruction in health information literacy, medical informatic, evidence-based research skills, and problembased learning. This article introduces key concepts relating to the interprofessional collaborative teamwork among health professionals and its impact on medical librarians. Methods: Data for this paper was collected through the literature review and it was done using various online searching tools with relevant information including, PubMed, LibHub, Science Direct and Google Scholar. Results: The results show that the emerging and changed roles have resulted in a shift in professional identity with the health sciences librarians moving toward a collaborative, consultative practice that is more closely aligned to user's needs and approaching patient care from a team-based perspective. Conclusion and Recommendation: The paper concludes among others that there is a need for library science educators and health sciences librarians to seek and identify skills needed for evolving library practice and formal documentation of new roles within clinical settings. It is recommended that they should add technology, collaborative, consultative, instructional design, and teaching skills to their professional toolbox

India's Healthcare System Performance Compared with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An Observational Study.

The objective of this study is to determine how the Indian health care system is performing relative to health care system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), given that it is facing sustained financial pressure, increasing population and demand for quality care. This is an observational study using secondary data from major international organizations, ministries of health, other government and non- government agencies in India and KSA. In order to measure the performance of health care systems, four domains such as population and healthcare coverage, healthcare spending, health system capacity and health status were considered. In comparison with KSA, India spends a very low expenditure on healthcare and markedly lower health workforce density. Due to lower healthcare expenditure, India's health services outcomes and health status are low compared to KSA. Although Indian healthcare system has undergone notable progress in the last two decades, it is lagging behind in many healthcare system parameters. If India wants to reach a high performing and a nation with good health outcomes comparable with other G20 member countries, it needs to invest more on primary healthcare, health workforce, strengthening public healthcare system, and prevention and treatment for non-communicable diseases.

Utilization analysis of monoclonal antibodies in China under the background of tiered healthcare delivery system / 中国药房

OBJECT IVE To deeply unders tand the utilization of monoclonal antibody drugs in different levels of medical institutions in China ，so as to provide an empirical basis for further promoting tiered healthcare delivery system. METHODS The basic informations of listed monoclonal antibody drugs in China as of May 2021 were collected through the official websites of government agencies such as National Medical Products Administration and National Healthcare Security Administration ，so as to understand the overall development status of monoclonal antibody drugs in China. The clinical utilization data of monoclonal antibody drugs in all categories of antitumor drugs and immune modulators were collected through “chemical drug terminal of Chinese public medical institutions ”database of Metnet ；the clinical application of monoclonal antibody drugs in medical institutions at different levels was analyzed. RESULTS As of May 2021，there were 53 monoclonal antibody drugs had been approved for listing in China ，including 31 imported monoclonal antibody drugs and 22 domestic monoclonal antibody drugs. From 2015 to 2019，the amount and quantity of monoclonal antibody drugs used in urban medical institutions were the highest among the three levels of medical institutions （both accounted for more than 95％ for five consecutive years ），but the growth rate of drug use in county-level medical institutions was the fastest. In 2019，the cumulative proportion of DDDs and drug amount of the top 10 monoclonal antibody drugs ranked in DDDs were the highest among county-level medical institutions ，being 97.09％ and 94.16％ respectively. From the change trend of DDDc of monoclonal antibody drugs from 2015 to 2019，DDDc of cetuximab decreased the most （70.32％），followed by trastuzumab （67.29％） and bevacizumab（62.89％）. From 2015 to 2019，the number of monoclonal antibody drugs with B/A value of no less than 1 ranked the top 10 of the annual cost were 6，6，6，7 and 5， respectively. CONCLUSIONS In China ，the overall approval and listing speed of monoclonal antibody drugs has accelerated，their quantity has increased rapidly ，and the accessibility is also improved. Among them ，the quantity of monoclonal antibody drugs has increased the fastest in county-level medical institutions ，and they are mainly medical insurance drugs ，and the effect of tiered healthcare delivery system has gradually appeared.

Gobernanza y rectoría de la calidad en los servicios de salud en el Perú / Governance and stewardship of quality in health services in Peru

RESUMEN El cuidado de las personas y de su salud es una función primaria de la familia y de la sociedad como lo demuestran estudios sobre los humanos primitivos, así como en el Perú prehispánico. La conquista y los siglos posteriores de colonización quebraron la forma tradicional del cuidado de las personas, reemplazando la solidaridad social por acciones de caridad principalmente de órdenes religiosas que propiciaron hospicios luego denominados hospitales. Durante la colonia y hasta principios del siglo XX el cuidado de los enfermos siguió siendo responsabilidad de las instituciones de caridad, como las Beneficencias creadas luego de la independencia. Los derechos sociales como la educación y la salud recién surgen en las primeras décadas del pasado siglo, plasmándose en la Constitución de 1933. Sin embargo, tanto en esa Constitución como en la de 1979 y la de 1993 el derecho a la educación fue reconocido más plenamente, siendo más limitado en salud. La ley de Aseguramiento Universal en Salud del 2009 propone garantizar para todos el derecho al acceso a servicios de salud con calidad, como parte del derecho a la salud en sentido amplio. Las limitaciones actuales obligan a redefinir el derecho de todas las personas al cuidado integral de su salud y la rectoría del Estado para garantizarlo.

ABSTRACT The care of people and their health is a primary function of the family and of society as shown by studies on primitive humans, as well as in pre-Hispanic Peru. The conquest and subsequent centuries of colonization fractured the traditional way of caring for people, replacing social solidarity with charity actions mainly from religious orders that provided hospices later called hospitals. During the colony and until the beginning of the 20th century, the care of the sick continued to be the responsibility of charitable institutions, such as the Charities created after independence. Social rights such as education and health only emerged in the first decades of the last century and were enshrined in the 1933 Constitution. However, both in that Constitution as in those from 1979 and 1993, the right to education was recognized more fully, while the right to heath was limited. The Universal Health Coverage Act of 2009 propounds guaranteeing the right to access quality healthcare services for everybody, as part of the right to health in the broadest sense. The current limitations force us to redefine the right of every citizen to comprehensive care of their health and the State's guidance to guarantee it.

Avances en el desarrollo de los recursos humanos en salud en el Perú y su importancia en la calidad de atención / Progress in the development of healthcare human resources in Peru and their importance in the quality of care

RESUMEN Los Recursos Humanos en Salud (RHUS) son pilar clave en el éxito de todo sistema de salud, su desarrollo y desempeño son fundamental para garantizar una atención de calidad. A pesar de esta realidad, los RHUS suelen estar ausentes en procesos de reforma sanitaria. En el Perú, en los últimos 30 años, se han dado diversas reformas que han incluido en mayor o menor medida, mejoras en las políticas de RHUS con la finalidad de brindar una mejor calidad de atención a la población. Este artículo busca hacer un breve análisis de los avances en el campo de la gestión y desarrollo de los Recursos humanos en el Sector Salud en los últimos años, destacando su importancia en la calidad de atención. De hacer esfuerzos suficientes en este campo, lograríamos RHUS competentes, distribuidos de forma equitativa y comprometidos con entregar atención de calidad a todos los individuos.

ABSTRACT Healthcare Human Resources (HHR) are key for the success of any health system; its development and performance are fundamental to ensure quality care. Despite this reality, HHR are often absent from health reform processes. In Peru, in the last 30 years, there have been several reforms that have included, to a greater or lesser extent, improvements in HHR policies aimed at providing a better quality of care to the population. This article seeks to make a brief analysis of the advances in the field of management and development of human resources in the healthcare sector in recent years, highlighting their importance in the quality of care. Through considerable effort, we would achieve competent, equitably-distributed HHR committed to delivering quality care to all individuals.

Origin-destination flows in chemotherapy for breast cancer in Brazil: implications for pharmaceutical services / Fluxos origem-destino para quimioterapia para o câncer de mama no Brasil: implicações para a assistência farmacêutica

Abstract This study maps and analyzes patient flows for breast cancer chemotherapy in order to identify the potential implications for organization of pharmaceutical services in the cancer care network. An ecological study design sought to correlate the place of residence with place of care for breast cancer patients. All chemotherapy procedures financed by Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS) and performed from January to December 2013 were included. Flows were mapped using TerraView® software. A total of 1 347 803 outpatient chemotherapy procedures were delivered by 243 cancer care units located in 156 municipalities. Seventeen cities concentrated approximately 50.0 % of the procedures. A total of 8 538 origin-destination flows were generated and 49.2% of procedures were performed in services located outside the municipality in which the patient resided. Context challenges, related to inequality of access to chemotherapy and hindrances in planning and management of pharmaceutical services, were discussed.

Resumo Este estudo mapeia e analisa os fluxos percorridos por pacientes em uso de quimioterapia para o tratamento do câncer de mama no Brasil, usando metodologia de redes, de forma a identificar potenciais implicações para a organização da assistência farmacêutica na rede de atenção oncológica. Realizou-se um estudo ecológico correlacionando o local de residência com o de atendimento de pacientes com câncer de mama. Incluiu-se todos os procedimentos de quimioterapia financiados pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), realizados no ano de 2013. O mapeamento dos fluxos foi efetuado no programa TerraView®. Foram realizados 1.347.803 procedimentos ambulatoriais de quimioterapia em 243 unidades habilitadas pelo SUS, sediadas em 156 municípios brasileiros. Dezessete cidades concentraram aproximadamente 50,0% dos atendimentos. Foram gerados 8.538 fluxos de origem-destino e 49,2% dos procedimentos foram realizados em serviços sediados fora do município de residência da mulher. Alguns aspectos da organização da assistência farmacêutica, relacionados a desigualdades no acesso à quimioterapia e dificuldades no planejamento de ações e serviços farmacêuticos foram problematizados frente ao contexto apresentado.

Establishment of Healthcare Delivery System through Improvement of Health Insurance System / 보건행정학회지

Establishing a healthcare delivery system is key to building a cost-effective healthcare system that can prevent the waste of healthcare resources and increase efficiency. Recently, the rapid increase in the national medical expenditures due to the aging of the population and the increase in chronic diseases has raised the question about the sustainability of the healthcare system including the health insurance system. This is why we need to reform the medical delivery system, including the function setting of medical institutions. Accordingly, gradual and practical efforts based on the recognition of reality are needed for solving the problems and improving the medical delivery system. The first effort is to secure policy measures to establish functions and roles of medical institutions which are the basis of the healthcare delivery system, and a systematic medical use system for appropriate medical use. This approach can be achieved through a reasonable health insurance schemes. Without reasonable reform efforts, it will be difficult for Korea's health care system to develop into a system that can provide cost-effective and high-quality medical services that the people want.

As Unidades de Pronto Atendimento como unidades de internação: fenômenos do fluxo assistencial na rede de urgências / Emergency Care Units as hospitalization units: phenomena of the care flow in the emergency network

Resumo A Rede de Urgência e Emergência (RUE) do município do Rio de Janeiro foi alvo de investimentos e reestruturação com a disseminação das Unidades de Pronto Atendimento (UPAs). Superlotação, baixa qualidade e integração comprometem a conformação dessa rede. Buscou-se analisar a organização e o funcionamento dos fluxos assistenciais estabelecidos na RUE, a partir do acesso ao leito hospitalar. Foram realizadas 36 entrevistas e análise de dados de bancos de dados primários e secundários, utilizando-se estatística descritiva e a análise exploratória. O acesso ao leito hospitalar é infrequente, sendo atendidas apenas 13% das solicitações totais. As solicitações de leito oriundas das UPAs alcançaram percentuais maiores, 40% para UTI e 36% para clínica geral. No entanto, os cerca de 60% restantes, geralmente, recebem alta ou evoluem para óbito antes de alcançar um leito hospitalar, transformando as UPAs em unidades de internação. Outro fenômeno de destaque foi a relação conflituosa entre os componentes pré-hospitalares (atenção primária e UPA) na dinâmica do fluxo do Vaga Zero, comprometendo a continuidade do cuidado. É necessário aprimorar o nível de integração entre unidades que compõem a RUE bem como expandir e qualificar a retaguarda hospitalar.

Abstract Emergency Health Care delivery has been a major issue in the city of Rio de Janeiro was the target of investments and restructuring with the dissemination of Emergency Care Units (UPAs). Overcrowding, poor quality and integration compromise the conformation of this network. The aim was to analyze the organization and functioning of care flows established in the RUE, based on access to the hospital bed. Thirty-six interviews and data analysis of primary and secondary databases were performed, using descriptive statistics and exploratory analysis. Access to the hospital bed is infrequent, with only 13% of total requests being met. Bed requests from UPAs reached higher percentages, 40% for ICUs and 36% for general practice. However, the remaining 60% are usually discharged or die before reaching a hospital bed, turning UPAs into inpatient units. Another prominent phenomenon was the conflictual relationship between the prehospital components (primary care and UPA) in the dynamic of the Vaga Zero flow, compromising the continuity of care. It is necessary to improve the level of integration between units that make up the RUE, as well as to expand and qualify the hospital rearward.

Enhancing Sustainability in Healthcare Delivery—A Challenge to the New Malaysia

@#There have been substantial improvements in the health indicators since Malaysia achieved independence. These were accomplished through strong primary healthcare services addressing maternal and paediatric health, as well as the successful control of communicable diseases. The rate of decline in the mortality statistics has been at a virtual standstill, or at best, almost plateaued since 2000. However, with the plethora of national health issues at both the policy and delivery levels, we cannot continue on with ‘business as usual’. Therefore, we must strategise effective and practical approaches to a renewed and revamped national healthcare services for a modern ‘New Malaysia’ that are compatible with our quest toward the status of a ‘truly developed’ nation.

Reducing Preoperative Waiting-time in a Pediatric Eye Operation Theater by Optimizing Process Flow: A Pilot Quality Improvement Project

Objective: To decrease the preoperative area waiting-time forchildren posted for eye surgery.Methods: A pilot quality improvement project was conducted in asingle paediatric eye operation theatre in our tertiary-carehospital. Operation theatre process flow was analyzed, baselinedata was collected, and two Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles wereperformed on consecutive days. Average and maximal waiting-time were recorded across six operation theatre days.Results: The average and maximal waiting time at baseline were221 and 390 minutes, respectively. After two rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, these were reduced to 29 (87% reduction) and 52minutes (87% reduction) from baseline, respectively, and couldsubsequently be sustained.Conclusion: Preoperative waiting time in ophthalmic operationtheatre was significantly reduced by simple process flowoptimization, thereby improving quality of care.

Current Issues of Healthcare Research and Development in Korea / 보건행정학회지

There has been much efforts to facilitate healthcare innovation and many desirable outcomes were produced in Korea. However, some structural deficiencies were found. They are misalignment of research and development (R&D) subjects with healthcare system, lack of flexibility of current healthcare system to accommodate the radically innovative products, and lack of cooperation among innovation agent. Some suggestions to correct these deficiencies are discussed. The suggestions are as follows: relating Korean healthcare R&D to healthcare system, enhancement of institutional flexibility to allow innovative application of new technology, improvement of the R&D process, and reexamination of the role of academic medical centers.

Are Malaysian Diabetic Patients Ready to Use The New Generation of Health Care Service Delivery? A Telehealth Interest Assessment

Background: The idea of launching an internet-based self-management program for patients with diabetes led us to do a cross-sectional study to find out about the willingness, interest, equipment, and level of usage of computer and internet in a medium- to low-social class area and to find the feasibility of using e-telemonitoring systems for these patients. Methods: A total of 180 patients with type 2 diabetes participated in this study and fulfilled the self-administered questionnaire in Diabetes Clinic of Primary Medical Center of University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre; the response rate was 84%. We used the universal sampling method and assessed three groups of factors including sociodemographic, information and communication technology (ICT), willingness and interest, and disease factors. Results: Our results showed that 56% of the patients with diabetes were interested to use such programs; majority of the patients were Malay, and patients in the age group of 51–60 years formed the largest group. Majority of these patients studied up to secondary level of education. Age, education, income, and money spent for checkup were significantly associated with the interest of patients with diabetes to the internet-based programs. ICT-related factors such as computer ownership, computer knowledge, access to the internet, frequency of using the internet and reasons of internet usage had a positive effect on patients’ interest. Conclusion: Our results show that among low to intermediate social class of Malaysian patients with type 2 diabetes, more than 50% of them can and wanted to use the internet-based self-management programs. Furthermore, we also show that patients equipped with more ICT-related factors had more interest toward these programs. Therefore, we propose making ICT more affordable and integrating it into the health care system at primary care level and then extending it nationwide.

Harmony in health sector: a requirement for effective healthcare delivery in Nigeria

Harmony is defined as the pleasing combination of elements of a system to form an all-inclusive, all involving and more productive team. The aim of this present review was to investigate the factors militating against harmony among healthcare professional in the Nigerian healthcare delivery system. This review was carried out by searching through literature on the topic that bother on harmony among health professions in the health sector. Literature search and reports from previous studies indicates that harmony among health workers is pivotal to improving the health indices. However, available evidence suggests that unlike in the developed world, health care professionals do not collaborate well together in Nigeria because of the claim of superiority of a particular health professional over others. This has often resulted in inter-professional conflict which is threatening to tear the health sector apart to the detriment of the patients. The Nigeria health system should be based on team work. Health professionals from a variety of disciplines should work together to deliver the best possible healthcare services to all Nigerians. All members of the team are equally valuable and essential to the smooth running of hospitals. Hospitals should ideally be headed by health administrators or by a qualified member of any of the professions in the health sector.

Harmony in health sector: A requirement for effective healthcare delivery in Nigeria

Harmony is defined as the pleasing combination of elements of a system to form an all-inclusive, all involving and more productive team. The aim of this present review was to investigate the factors militating against harmony among healthcare professional in the Nigerian healthcare delivery system. This review was carried out by searching through literature on the topic that bother on harmony among health professions in the health sector. Literature search and reports from previous studies indicates that harmony among health workers is pivotal to improving the health indices. However, available evidence suggests that unlike in the developed world, health care professionals do not collaborate well together in Nigeria because of the claim of superiority of a particular health professional over others. This has often resulted in inter-professional conflict which is threatening to tear the health sector apart to the detriment of the patients. The Nigeria health system should be based on team work. Health professionals from a variety of disciplines should work together to deliver the best possible healthcare services to all Nigerians. All members of the team are equally valuable and essential to the smooth running of hospitals. Hospitals should ideally be headed by health administrators or by a qualified member of any of the professions in the health sector.

Cáncer de piel: barreras de acceso e itinerario burocrático. Una experiencia colombiana / Colombian experience regarding skin cancer: healthcare-related barriers to access to healthcare and bureaucratic itineraries

RESUMEN Objetivo Describir y comprender de forma integral las experiencias que han vivido personas con cáncer de piel no melanoma en su lucha por recuperar la salud, descifrando el itinerario que recorren en busca de atención, describiendo las relaciones con el sistema de salud, estableciendo la tasa de tutelas y el porcentaje de servicios negados, y documentando los determinantes relacionados con el diagnóstico oportuno. Métodos Se realizó un estudio con metodología mixta desde la perspectiva combinada de la epidemiología y la antropología médica critica. El trabajo incluyó una cohorte retrospectiva con 369 personas, tres grupos focales con 48 participantes y entrevistas en profundidad a 20 casos. Resultados Se documentaron barreras propias del sistema de salud, barreras intermedias (laborales y geográficas) y barreras estructurales (economía, ingresos, poder adquisitivo, cohesión social y educación). Los diagnósticos oportunos fueron del 32,5 %. Los determinantes relacionados fueron: escolaridad igual o superior a la formación técnica (OR:4,4), vivienda propia (OR:4,8), vivir en medio urbano (OR:3,5) y afiliación al régimen contributivo (OR:1,9). El 28 % reportaron la negación de algún tipo de servicio (biopsia, cirugía), y la tasa de uso de recursos legales fue de cinco por cada 100 casos nuevos año. Se documentó el itinerario desde la aparición de la enfermedad, hasta la atención definitiva. Discusión Las personas en condiciones desfavorables presentan los casos más complejos y paradójicamente enfrentan la mayor cantidad de barreras de acceso. Estas barreras trascienden el sistema de salud, y no dependen exclusivamente de una reforma al sector.

ABSTRACT Objectives Describing and understanding the experiences of people suffering non-melanoma skin cancer in their struggles to recuperate, deciphering their itinerary regarding their health-seeking behavior, describing the relationship between patients and the Colombian healthcare system by referring to the number of pertinent writs and the percentage of denied services, and documenting the determinants which are related to timely diagnosis. Methods This was a mixed-methods study, combining epidemiology and critical medical anthropology; the study involved a retrospective cohort of 369 people, 3 focus groups including 48 participants and in-depth interviews regarding 20 cases. Results The data revealed specific healthcare system-related barriers to access to healthcare, intermediate barriers (work-related and geographical) and structural barriers (economic-, income-, purchasing power-, social cohesion- and education-related). Timely diagnosis was made in 32.5% of the reported cases. Related determinants consisted of educational level equal to or above technical training (OR 4.4), home ownership (OR 4.8), living in an urban area (OR3.5) and contributory regime affiliation (OR 1.9); 28% of the people involved in the study reported that they had been denied access to a service (biopsy, surgery) and the rate of resorting to legal means (i.e. writs) was 5 out of every 100 new cases per year. The itinerary from the time of the appearance of a particular disease to definitive resolution was established. Discussion People living in unfavorable social conditions were involved in the severest cases and, paradoxically, faced the largest set of barriers to access to healthcare in Colombia. Such barriers extend beyond the healthcare system and will not become resolved solely through healthcare reform.

Role of Public Health Systems in the Present Health Scenario: Key Challenges.

The health scenario in our country is rapidly changing, both in terms of the public health challenges that we face as well as our response to these challenges. As India becomes more and more developed and we have greater means at our disposal, our response to our health challenges must refl ect our changing health and socio-economic status. India faces enormous challenges in the area of women’s and children’s health. India is one of the few countries that have recorded substantial decline in maternal mortality. India is still far from achieving the target set in the millennium development goals. Despite several growth-orientated policies adopted by the government, the widening economic, regional, and gender disparities are posing challenges for the health sector. About 75% of health infrastructure, medical manpower, and other health resources are concentrated in urban areas where 27% of the populations live. To reduce this double burden of diseases, public health has to focus on health promotion, and disease prevention and control, while taking into consideration the social determinant of health. The focus of public health is to bring about change at the policy level not only for preventing disease but also for the health promotion through organized action at societal level.

Overview of healthcare system in North Korea

In this study, we analyzed the healthcare system of North Korea using Kleczkowski's model which categorizes national healthcare infrastructure into five components: health resources, organization, healthcare delivery system, economic support, and management. It was found that the healthcare system in North Korea, which provides clinical medicine, Koryo medicine and preventive medicine, is constituted of a physician system of independent geographic sectors and centralized delivery system while maintaining free universal health coverage. These systems are all managed by the government and the People's Committee Party. However, North Korea has been confronted with severe economic difficulties since the 1990s, such that we question whether the healthcare system has been able to function properly despite of the lack of resources in general throughout the country.

Medication Errors: A Preventable Problem.

Advancements in human healthcare are on an all time high. The treatment system is becoming hi-tech and sophisticated and vulnerable to errors at the same time. Various disasters have occurred due to medication errors at different levels of healthcare delivery. However, if a little bit of extra caution is observed by the various stakeholders these can be prevented largely.