Perceptions of health-care professionals about quality of care and barriers to management of war injuries in Gaza Strip: a qualitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: War-related injury is a growing clinical and public health concern in occupied Palestinian territory, especially in the Gaza Strip. However, little research has been done into the quality of care and management of war injuries in public hospitals. We explored the perceptions of health-care workers about these factors in Palestinian health-care facilities in Gaza. METHODS: This was a qualitative descriptive study. Data were obtained in four focus group discussions attended at public health facilities by 30 purposively selected health-care providers, comprising 14 head surgeons, and 16 head nurses, aged 38-55 years. A semi-structured topic guide was developed by the authors for the study based on earliest literature, and was critically reviewed by a panel of experts to ensure the trustworthiness of the qualitative guide and to minimise complexity and enhance clarity of the questions for participants. Audio recordings of discussions were transcribed verbatim, translated, and analysed with a thematic analysis approach. The study was approved by the Palestinian Health Research Council and facilitated by the Ministry of Health. FINDINGS: A consensus was expressed that, despite some positive aspects in the system, fundamental changes and essential improvements were needed to advance the care and facilitation of war injury management. Some respondents had serious concerns about the health-care system, suggesting that it needs to be comprehensively rebuilt. Unanimous views were expressed about the important barriers to effective management and quality of care: shortages of resources, medicines, and funding; underuse or absence of specific and unified clinical practice guidelines; no official commitment by the Ministry of Health to adopt updated clinical guidelines; few incentives and poor motivation, poor communications; blockade and siege; division of health systems in the country; overcrowding of patients with war injuries in hospitals with limited capacity; spreading of infection due to poor cleanliness; shortages in fuel and power supply; and low wages, which negatively affected staff motivation. Respondents also reported inadequate sharing of care and cooperation between different health-care facilities. INTERPRETATION: The perceptions about barriers to management of war injuries and the quality of care provided were similar across Palestinian health-care facilities in the Gaza strip. Our findings suggest that fundamental changes and comprehensive reform of the health-care system are needed to make the care of patients with war injuries more effective and efficient. One of the important strengths of this study is that it addressed the perspective and opinions of different key health professionals, which made it possible gain deeper and better understanding of how war injuries are managed in the Palestinian health system. In addition, the outcomes of the study were based on diverse information. However, the analysis of the qualitative data may represent challenges, and be more complicated and time consuming than a quantitative approach. FUNDING: None.

Perceptions of Non-Communicable Disease and War Injury Management in the Palestinian Health System: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Providers Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Palestine, like other low-income countries, is confronting an increasing epidemic of non-communicable disease (NCD) and trend of war injury. The management of health problems often presents a critical challenge to the Palestinian health system (PHS). Understanding the perceptions of healthcare providers is essential in exploring the gaps in the health system to develop an effective healthcare intervention. Unfortunately, health research on management of NCD and war injury has largely been neglected and received little attention. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the perspectives of healthcare providers regarding NCD and war injury management in the PHS in the Gaza Strip. METHODS: A qualitative study approach was used, based on four focus group discussions (FGDs) involving a purposive sampling strategy of 30 healthcare providers from three main public hospitals in Gaza Strip. A semi-structured topic guide was used, and the focus group interviews data were analyzed using manifest content analysis. The study was approved by the Palestinian Health Research Council (PHRC) for ethics approval. RESULTS: From the healthcare providers perspective, four main themes and several sub-themes have emerged from the descriptive manifest content analysis: functioning of healthcare system; system-related challenges; patients-related challenges; strategies and actions to navigating the challenges and improving care. Informants frequently discussed that despite some positive aspects in the system, fundamental changes and significant improvements are needed. Some expressed serious concerns that the healthcare system needs complete rebuilding to facilitate the management of NCD and war-related injury. They perceived important barriers to effective management of NCD and war injury such as poor hospital infrastructure and logistics, shortage of micro and sub-specialities and essential resources. Participants also expressed a dilemma and troubles in communication and interactions, especially during emergencies or crises. The informants stressed the unused of updated clinical management guidelines. There was a consensus regarding poor shared-care/task sharing, partnership, and cooperation among healthcare facilities. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that fundamental changes and significant reforms are needed in the health system to make healthcare services more effective, timely, and efficient. The study disclosed the non-use of clinical guidelines as well as suboptimal sectorial task-sharing among different stakeholders and healthcare providers. A clear and comprehensive healthcare policy considering the gaps in the system must be adopted for the improvement and development of care in the PHS.

Barriers to managing and delivery of care to war-injured survivors or patients with non-communicable disease: a qualitative study of Palestinian patients' and policy-makers' perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Improving access to optimal quality of care is a core priority and ambitious health policy goal in spite of impediments, threats and challenges in Palestine. Understanding the factors that may impede quality of care is essential in developing an effective healthcare intervention for patient with non-communicable disease (NCD) or war-injured survivors. METHODS: Qualitative interviews were performed using a purposive sampling strategy of 18 political-key informants, 10 patients with NCD and 7 war-injured survivors from different health facilities in Gaza Strip. A semi-structured interview guide was developed for data collection. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Important field notes of the individual interviews were also reported. Thematic-driven analytic approach was used to identify key themes and patterns. RESULTS: From the policy maker's perspective, the following important barriers to accessing optimal healthcare for patients with NCD or war-injured survivors' treatment were identified; 1) organizational/structural 2) availability 3) communication 4) personnel/lack of staff 5) financial and political barriers. Patient with NCD or war-injury had similar experiences of barriers as the policy makers. In addition, they also identified socioeconomic, physical and psychological barriers for accessing optimal healthcare and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The main perceived barriers explored through this study will be very interesting and useful if they are considered seriously and handled carefully, in order to ensure efficient, productive, cost-effective intervention and delivery of a high-standard quality of care and better disease management.

Correction to: The burden of war-injury in the Palestinian health care sector in Gaza Strip.

In the original publication of this article [1] the background section contained an inaccurate mention of the amount of civilian deaths in the 2014 Gaza war. In this correction article the incorrect and correct information are published for clarification.

The burden of war-injury in the Palestinian health care sector in Gaza Strip.

BACKGROUND: War-related injury is a major public health concern, and a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and disability globally, particularly in low and middle-income countries such as Palestine. Little is known about the burden of war-related injury in the Palestinian context. The objective of this study was to characterize the incidence and pattern of injuries, associated with war in Gaza Strip, from July 8 to August 26, 2014. METHODS: This was a descriptive study based on an injury registry at hospital facilities in the Gaza Strip. A total of 420 victims records from 2014 Gaza war injuries were randomly selected, proportionate to the size of the study population estimated across five Gaza governorates. Simple descriptive statistics were calculated to explore the frequency and percentage distribution of study variables and injury data. A chi-square test (X2) was used. The significance level was derived at p < 0.05. The data were analyzed by IBM SPSS software, version 23. RESULTS: Males (75.5%) have experienced more war-related injuries than females (24.5%), constituting a male: female ratio of 3.1:1. Almost half (49.5%) of the injured victims were of the age group 20-39, followed by children and adolescents (< 20 years), accounting for 31.4%. More than half of victims were single (53.6%), 44.3% were married and the rest were widowed or divorced. The overall number of injuries was 6.4 per 1000 population, though it varied among regions. North Gaza reported the highest number of injuries (9.0) and Rafah the lowest (4.7) per 1000 population. Blast and explosion were found to be the most common causes of war injuries (72.9%). The highest proportion of injuries were reported in the upper body. Multiple body shrapnel wounds and burns (39.3%) were most frequent. Other types of injuries were multiple organ injury (24.3%), fractures (13.6%), internal organ injury and bleeding (9.8%), amputation (4.5%), abrasions/lacerations and contusions (4.8%), vision or hearing loss or both (1.9%) and respiratory problems (1.9%). The highest percentage of injuries were classified as mild (46.9%), and the rest ranged from moderate-to-severe. Almost 26% of individuals had sustained disability, and most of them had physical/motor impairment. CONCLUSION: War-related injuries constitute a major problem to public health discipline and clinical medicine as well. A better surveillance system using ICD codes, and development of a comprehensive electronic data network are necessary to make future research easier and more timely.