Quantifying reciprocal relationships between poverty and health: combining a causal loop diagram with longitudinal structural equation modelling.

BACKGROUND: This study takes on the challenge of quantifying a complex causal loop diagram describing how poverty and health affect each other, and does so using longitudinal data from The Netherlands. Furthermore, this paper elaborates on its methodological approach in order to facilitate replication and methodological advancement. METHODS: After adapting a causal loop diagram that was built by stakeholders, a longitudinal structural equation modelling approach was used. A cross-lagged panel model with nine endogenous variables, of which two latent variables, and three time-invariant exogenous variables was constructed. With this model, directional effects are estimated in a Granger-causal manner, using data from 2015 to 2019. Both the direct effects (with a one-year lag) and total effects over multiple (up to eight) years were calculated. Five sensitivity analyses were conducted. Two of these focus on lower-income and lower-wealth individuals. The other three each added one exogenous variable: work status, level of education, and home ownership. RESULTS: The effects of income and financial wealth on health are present, but are relatively weak for the overall population. Sensitivity analyses show that these effects are stronger for those with lower incomes or wealth. Physical capability does seem to have strong positive effects on both income and financial wealth. There are a number of other results as well, as the estimated models are extensive. Many of the estimated effects only become substantial after several years. CONCLUSIONS: Income and financial wealth appear to have limited effects on the health of the overall population of The Netherlands. However, there are indications that these effects may be stronger for individuals who are closer to the poverty threshold. Since the estimated effects of physical capability on income and financial wealth are more substantial, a broad recommendation would be that including physical capability in efforts that are aimed at improving income and financial wealth could be useful and effective. The methodological approach described in this paper could also be applied to other research settings or topics.

Newspaper Coverage of Hospitals During a Prolonged Health Crisis: Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: It is important for health organizations to communicate with the public through newspapers during health crises. Although hospitals were a main source of information for the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about how this information was presented to the public through (web-based) newspaper articles. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine newspaper reporting on the situation in hospitals during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands and to assess the degree to which the reporting in newspapers aligned with what occurred in practice. METHODS: We used a mixed methods longitudinal design to compare internal data from all hospitals (n=5) located in one of the most heavily affected regions of the Netherlands with the information reported by a newspaper covering the same region. The internal data comprised 763 pages of crisis meeting documents and 635 minutes of video communications. A total of 14,401 newspaper articles were retrieved from the LexisNexis Academic (RELX Group) database, of which 194 (1.3%) articles were included for data analysis. For qualitative analysis, we used content and thematic analyses. For quantitative analysis, we used chi-square tests. RESULTS: The content of the internal data was categorized into 12 themes: COVID-19 capacity; regular care capacity; regional, national, and international collaboration; human resources; well-being; public support; material resources; innovation; policies and protocols; finance; preparedness; and ethics. Compared with the internal documents, the newspaper articles focused significantly more on the themes COVID-19 capacity (P<.001), regular care capacity (P<.001), and public support (P<.001) during the first year of the pandemic, whereas they focused significantly less on the themes material resources (P=.004) and policies and protocols (P<.001). Differences in attention toward themes were mainly observed between the first and second waves of the pandemic and at the end of the third wave. For some themes, the attention in the newspaper articles preceded the attention given to these themes in the internal documents. Reporting was done through various forms, including diary articles written from the perspective of the hospital staff. No indication of the presence of misinformation was found in the newspaper articles. CONCLUSIONS: Throughout the first year of the pandemic, newspaper articles provided coverage on the situation of hospitals and experiences of staff. The focus on themes within newspaper articles compared with internal hospital data differed significantly for 5 (42%) of the 12 identified themes. The discrepancies between newspapers and hospitals in their focus on themes could be attributed to their gatekeeping roles. Both parties should be aware of their gatekeeping role and how this may affect information distribution. During health crises, newspapers can be a credible source of information for the public. The information can also be valuable for hospitals themselves, as it allows them to anticipate internal and external developments.

Disentangling Population Health Management Initiatives in Diabetes Care: A Scoping Review.

Introduction: Population Health Management (PHM) focusses on keeping the whole population as healthy as possible. As such, it could be a promising approach for long-term health improvement in type 2 diabetes. This scoping review aimed to examine the extent to which and how PHM is used in the care for people with type 2 diabetes. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched between January 2000 and September 2021 for papers on self-reported PHM initiatives for type 2 diabetes. Eligible initiatives were described using the analytical framework for PHM. Results: In total, 25 studies regarding 18 PHM initiatives for type 2 diabetes populations were included. There is considerable variation in whether and how the PHM steps are operationalized in existing PHM initiatives. Population identification, impact evaluation, and quality improvement processes were generally part of the PHM initiatives. Triple Aim assessment and risk stratification actions were scarce or explained in little detail. Moreover, cross-sector integration is key in PHM but scarce in practice. Conclusion: Operationalization of PHM in practice is limited compared to the PHM steps described in the analytical framework. Extended risk stratification and integration efforts would contribute to whole-person care and further health improvements within the population.

Evaluation of Healthcare Utilisation and Expenditures in Persons with Type 2 Diabetes Undergoing Bariatric-Metabolic Surgery.

PURPOSE: Changes in healthcare utilisation and expenditures after bariatric-metabolic surgery (BMS) for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are unclear. We used the Dutch national all-payer claims database (APCD) to evaluate utilisation and expenditures in people with T2DM who underwent BMS. METHODS: In this cohort study, patients with T2DM who had BMS in 2016 were identified in the APCD. This group was matched 1:2 to a control group with T2DM who did not undergo BMS based on age, gender and healthcare expenditures. Data on healthcare expenditures and utilisation were collected for 2013-2019. RESULTS: In total, 1751 patients were included in the surgery group and 3502 in the control group. After BMS, total median expenditures in the surgery group stabilised (€ 3156 to € 3120) and increased in the control group (€ 3174 to € 3434). Total pharmaceutical expenditures decreased 28% in the surgery group (€957 to €494) and increased 55% in the control group (€605 to €936). In the surgery group, 67.1% did not use medication for T2DM in 2019 compared to 13.3% in the control group. Healthcare use for microvascular complications increased in the control group, but not in the surgery group. CONCLUSION: BMS in people with T2DM stabilises healthcare expenditures and decreases medication use and care use for microvascular complications. In contrast, healthcare use and expenditures in T2DM patients who do not undergo surgery gradually increase over time. Due to the progressive nature of T2DM, it is expected that these differences will become larger in the long-term.

Supporting professionals to implement integrated, person-centered care for people with chronic conditions: the TARGET pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The TARGET program for integrated, person-centered care for people with chronic conditions offers primary care (PC) professionals a set of tools and trainings to actively engage in population segmentation and person-centered needs assessments (PCNAs). A pilot study was conducted to gain insight into the program's feasibility and acceptability, and identify preconditions for successful implementation. DESIGN AND SETTING: Seven Dutch PC practices participated in a half-year pilot study starting in August 2020. We performed a review of the population segmentation tool, observed four training sessions and 15 PCNAs, and interviewed 15 professionals and 12 patients. RESULTS: Regarding feasibility and acceptability, we found that the tools and trainings provided professionals with skills to use the segmentation tool and take a more coaching role in the well-appreciated PCNAs. Concerning implementation preconditions, we found that team commitment and network connections need improvement, although work pleasure increased and professionals generally wanted the program to continue. CONCLUSIONS: While the content of the TARGET program is supported by its users, the implementation process, for instance team commitment to the program, needs more attention in future upscaling efforts.

Key PointsTo implement integrated care in practice, primary care professionals (PCPs) need concrete tools, skills and confidence.PCPs consider the tools and trainings of the TARGET program as feasible and acceptable to organize integrated careTARGET's success depends on commitment from professionals to its implementation and the strength of ties with professionals in other domains.Based on qualitative insights, TARGET improves work pleasure and patient experience, but it takes time to decrease work pressure effectively.

Two sides of the same coin? Absolute income and perceived income inadequacy as social determinants of health.

BACKGROUND: Absolute income is commonly used in studies of health inequalities, however it does not reflect spending patterns, debts, or expectations. These aspects are reflected in measures concerning perceived income inadequacy. While health inequities by absolute income or perceived income inadequacy are well established, few studies have explored the interplay of absolute income and perceived income inadequacy in relation to health. METHODS: Multiple data sources were linked into a nationally representative dataset (n = 445,748) of Dutch adults (18 +). The association between absolute income, perceived income inadequacy and health (self-reported health, chronic disease and psychological distress) was tested using logistic and Poisson regressions, controlling for various potential confounders (demographics, education) and mastery. Interactions were tested to check the association between perceived income inadequacy and health for different absolute income groups. RESULTS: Perceived income inadequacy was reported at every absolute income group (with 42% of individuals in the lowest income group and 5% of individuals in the highest income group). Both absolute income and perceived income inadequacy were independently associated with health. The adjusted relative risk (RR) for lowest absolute income group is 1.11 (1.08-1.1.14) and 1.28 (1.24-1.32) for chronic disease and self-reported health respectively, and the Odds Ratio (OR) for psychological distress is 1.28 (1.16-1.42). For perceived income inadequacy the RR's were 1.41 (1.37-1.46) and 1.49 (1.44-1.54) and the OR for psychological distress is 3.14 (2.81-3.51). Mastery appeared to be an important mediator for the relationship between perceived income inadequacy, poor self-rated health and psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: Absolute income and perceived income inadequacy reflect conceptually different aspects of income and are independently associated with health outcomes. Perceived income inadequacy may be accounted for in health inequality studies, alongside measures of absolute income. In policy-making, targeting perceived income inadequacy might have potential to reduce health inequalities.

Use it or lose it? Identifying reasons for the low use of psychosocial support by hospital staff.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial support programs are a way for hospitals to support the mental health of their staff. However, while support is needed, utilization of support by hospital staff remains low. This study aims to identify reasons for non-use and elements that are important to consider when offering psychosocial support. METHODS: This mixed-method, multiple case study used survey data and in-depth interviews to assess the extent of psychosocial support use, reasons for non-use and perceived important elements regarding the offering of psychosocial support among Dutch hospital staff. The study focused on a time of especially high need, namely the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics were used to assess frequency of use among 1514 staff. The constant comparative method was used to analyze answers provided to two open-ended survey questions (n = 274 respondents) and in-depth interviews (n = 37 interviewees). RESULTS: The use of psychosocial support decreased from 8.4% in December 2020 to 3.6% by September 2021. We identified four main reasons for non-use of support: deeming support unnecessary, deeming support unsuitable, being unaware of the availability, or feeling undeserving of support. Furthermore, we uncovered four important elements: offer support structurally after the crisis, adjust support to diverse needs, ensure accessibility and awareness, and an active role for supervisors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the low use of psychosocial support by hospital staff is shaped by individual, organizational, and support-specific factors. These factors can be targeted to increase use of psychosocial support, whereby it is important to also focus on the wider hospital workforce in addition to frontline staff.

Getting our hopes up: How actors perceive network effectiveness and why it matters.

Health care's grand challenges, such as continuously increasing costs, challenge the sustainability of health systems. Purpose-oriented networks are considered a favorable mode of organization to address these grand challenges. Therefore, it is crucial that they are effective. While network effectiveness is a heavily theorized, multi-dimensional concept that is often measured as a perception of actors, little is known about how network actors perceive effectiveness in practice and how this influences their behavior. In this study, we explored how network actors perceive network effectiveness using 32 interviews with representatives from network member organizations and regulatory agencies actor, 28 h of network meeting observations, and 1.272 pages of documents such as meeting minutes and media outlets. Our results show that actors primarily see hard outcomes (e.g. changes in cost or quality of care) as effectiveness but given the temporal nature of these goals and difficulties quantifying them, they resort to the collaborative process as a proxy to assess effectiveness. Actors engage in networks to solve grand challenges. However, conforming to expectations and environmental pressures also play a substantial role for actors to (continue to) participate in networks. In the absence of hard outcomes, actors legitimize their continued participation in networks using the collaborative process of networks. Actors therefore take purpose-oriented networks for granted as a legitimate way of organizing. Besides attempting to solve grand challenges, networks thus also seem to be adopted because of powerful institutional rules that function as rationalized myths, to gain legitimacy. Future research should be aware of and further unravel the institutional pressures in networks.

Preferred Conversation Topics with Respect to Treatment Decisions Among Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: Greater knowledge of individuals' needs and preferences can enhance shared decision-making, which is associated with improved quality of decisions and increased satisfaction. This study aimed to identify and prioritize the attributes (ie conversation topics) that individuals with type 2 diabetes find it most important to discuss with their healthcare provider regarding treatment decisions. Patients and Methods: First, small group interviews were organized with adults with type 2 diabetes (N=8) treated in primary care to identify the attributes that they find important to discuss regarding treatment decisions. A five-step nominal group technique was applied during the interviews. An object best-worst scaling (BWS) survey was subsequently distributed to individuals with self-reported diabetes participating in the Dutch Health Care Consumer Panel of the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (N=600) to determine the relative importance score (RIS) of the identified attributes. A higher RIS indicates a higher level of perceived importance. Subgroup and latent class analyses were performed to explore whether individuals' demographic and disease characteristics influenced their attribute preferences. Results: A total of 21 attributes were identified during three small group interviews with individuals with type 2 diabetes. Respondents in the BWS survey (N=285) viewed "quality of life" (RIS=11.97), "clinical outcomes" (RIS=10.40), "long-term diabetes complications" (RIS=9.83) and "short-term adverse medication" (RIS=7.72) as the most important in the decision-making process for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Some differences in attribute preferences were identified according to demographic and disease characteristics. Conclusion: In general, individuals with type 2 diabetes not only want to discuss the biological effects of treatments, but also the impact of treatment on their quality of life. Healthcare providers should be aware that attributes are viewed differently by different individuals. This emphasizes the need for tailor-made healthcare decisions, which means eliciting and responding to individual preferences in the decision-making process.

Through the looking glass: Confronting health care management's biggest challenges in the wake of a crisis.

BACKGROUND: The challenges brought on by the pandemic triggered a renewed scholarly focus on managing during crises. Now, 3 years on, having covered the initial crisis response, it is important to reevaluate what the crisis has taught us about health care management more generally. In particular, it is useful to consider the persistent challenges that continue to face health care organizations in the wake of a crisis. PURPOSE: The present article aims to identify the biggest challenges that currently face health care managers in order to formulate a postcrisis research agenda. METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: We employ an exploratory qualitative study, utilizing in-depth interviews with hospital executives and management to explore the persistent challenges facing managers in practice. RESULTS: Our qualitative inquiry reveals three key challenges that extend beyond the crisis and are salient for health care managers and organizations in the years to come. Specifically, we identify the centrality of human resource constraints (amidst increasing demand), the necessity of collaboration (amidst competition), and a need to reconsider the approach to leadership (utility of humility). CONCLUSION: We conclude by drawing upon relevant theories such as paradox theory to formulate a research agenda for health care management scholars that can support the creation of novel solutions and approaches to persistent challenges in practice. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: We identify several implications for organizations and health systems, including the need to eliminate competition and the importance of building human resource management capacities within organizations. In highlighting areas for future research, we provide organizations and managers with useful and actionable insights to address their most persistent challenges in practice.

Substitution or addition: An observational study of a new primary care initiative in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: In 2014, the Primary Care Plus (PC+) model was introduced in the Netherlands to shift low-complex specialised care from the hospital to the primary care setting. While positive effects of PC+ have been documented at individual patient level concerning health-related quality of life, perceived quality of care and care costs, its impacts on service use at the population level remain uncertain. METHODS: In this observational study, we used retrospective health insurance reimbursement claims data from the largest health insurer in the intervention region to determine service use. We assessed PC+ and secondary care insurance claims (i.e. claims of the regional hospital and claims of other secondary care settings in and outside the region visited by patients from the intervention region) from 2015 to 2018 and compared these to the national level. RESULTS: The total number of claims related to low-complex specialised care in the intervention region showed an increase over time. The increase in claims was related to PC+. The number of claims related to the regional hospital and other secondary care settings decreased over time. During the same period, a declining trend in claims at the national level was observed. CONCLUSION: The introduction of the PC+ model in one region in the Netherlands was associated with an increase in the use of low-complex specialised care. This suggests that the ability of the PC+ model to substitute for specialist care at population level may be limited. Going forward, it will be important to continue monitoring and evaluating service use as substitution effects may materialise only over a longer timeframe.

So Happy Together: A Review of the Literature on the Determinants of Effectiveness of Purpose-Oriented Networks in Health Care.

While purpose-oriented networks are widely recognized as organizational forms to address wicked problems in health care such as increasing demands and expenditure, the associated literature is fragmented. We therefore reviewed empirical studies to identify the determinants of the effectiveness of these networks. Our search yielded 3,657 unique articles, of which 19 met our eligibility criteria. After backward snowballing and expert consultation, 33 articles were included. Results reveal no less than 283 determinants of effective health care networks. The majority of these determinants are processual and involving professionals from the operational level is particularly salient. In addition, most studies relate determinants to process outcomes (e.g., improved collaboration or sustainability of the network) and only a few to members' perception of whether the network attains its goals. We urge future research to adopt configurational approaches to identify which sets of determinants are associated with networks' ability to attain their goal of addressing wicked problems.

Regional differences in healthcare costs further explained: The contribution of health, lifestyle, loneliness and mastery.

Healthcare costs in the Netherlands are rising and vary considerably among regions. Explaining regional differences in healthcare costs can help policymakers in targeting appropriate interventions in order to restrain costs. Factors usually taken into account when analyzing regional differences in healthcare costs are demographic structure and socioeconomic status (SES). However, health, lifestyle, loneliness and mastery have also been linked to healthcare costs. Therefore, this study analyzes the contribution of health, lifestyle factors (BMI, alcohol consumption, smoking and physical activity), loneliness, and mastery to regional differences in healthcare costs. Analyses are performed in a linked dataset (n = 334,721) from the Dutch Public Health Services, Statistics Netherlands, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (year 2016), and the healthcare claims database Vektis (year 2017) with Poisson and zero-inflated binomial regressions. Regional differences in general practitioner consult costs remain significant even after taking into account health, lifestyle, loneliness, and mastery. Regional differences in costs for mental, pharmaceutical, and specialized care are less pronounced and can be explained to a large extent. For total healthcare costs, regional differences are mostly explained through the factors included in this study. Hence, addressing lifestyle factors, loneliness and mastery can help policymakers in restraining healthcare costs. In this study, the region of Zuid-Limburg represents the reference region. Use compare regions for health and healthcare costs (Regiovergelijker gezondheid en zorgkosten) in order to select all other Dutch regions as reference region. Supplementary Information: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12508-022-00369-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Exploring the feasibility of a network of organizations for pain rehabilitation: What are the lessons learned?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Integration of care is lacking for chronic musculoskeletal pain patients. Network Pain Rehabilitation Limburg, a transmural health care network, has been designed to provide integrated rehabilitation care from a biopsychosocial perspective to improve patients' levels of functioning. This feasibility study aims to provide insight into barriers and facilitators for the development, implementation, and transferability. METHODS: This study was conducted with a three-phase iterative and incremental design from October 2017 to October 2018. The network comprises two rehabilitation practices, and three local primary care networks, with a general practitioner together with, a mental health practice nurse, and a physiotherapist or exercise therapist. These stakeholders with a random sample of participating patients took part in evaluations, consisting of interviews, focus groups, and observations. Field notes and observations were recorded during meetings. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research guided data collection and analysis. Results were used to refine the next phase. RESULTS: According to health care professionals, guidelines and treatment protocols facilitate consistency and transparency in collaboration, biopsychosocial language, and treatment. One mentioned barrier is the stigmatization of chronic pain by the general population. In regular care, approaches are often more biomedical than biopsychosocial, causing patients to resist participating. The current organization of health care acts as a barrier, complicating implementation between and within practices. Health care professionals were enthusiastic about the iterative, bottom-up development. A critical mass of participating organizations is needed for proper implementation. CONCLUSION: Network Pain Rehabilitation Limburg is feasible in daily practice if barriers are overcome and facilitators of development, implementation, and transferability are promoted. These findings will be used to refine Network Pain Rehabilitation Limburg. A large-scale process and effect evaluation will be performed. Our implementation strategies and results may assist other health care organizations aspiring to implement a transmural network using a similar model. TRAIL REGISTRATION: Registration number: NTR6654 or https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NTR6654.

Qualitative modelling of social determinants of health using group model building: the case of debt, poverty, and health.

BACKGROUND: Social determinants of health (SDoH) are known to have a large impact on health outcomes, but their effects are difficult to make visible. They are part of complex systems of variables largely indirect effects on multiple levels, constituting so-called wicked problems. This study describes a participatory approach using group model building (GMB) with stakeholders, in order to develop a qualitative causal model of the health effects of SDoH, taking poverty and debt in the Dutch city of Utrecht as a case study. METHODS: With GMB we utilised the perspective of stakeholders who are directly involved in policy and practice regarding poverty, debt, and/or health. This was done using system dynamic modelling, in three interactive sessions lasting three hours each. In these sessions, they constructed a model, resulting in a system of variables with causal relationships and feedback loops. Subsequently, the results of these GMB sessions were compared to scientific literature and reviewed by a panel of researchers with extensive experience in relevant scientific fields. RESULTS: The resulting model contains 71 causal relationships between 39 variables, 29 of which are present in feedback loops. The variables of participation in society, stress, shame, social contacts and use of services/provisions appear to hold prominent roles in the model's mechanisms. Most of the relationships in the model are supported by scientific literature. The researchers reviewing the model in the scientific meeting agreed that the vast majority of relationships would concur with scientific knowledge, but that the model constructed by the stakeholders consists mostly of individual-level factors, while important conditions usually relate to systemic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Building a model with GMB helps grasp the complex situation of a wicked problem, for which it is unlikely that its interrelationships result in a fully intuitive understanding with linear mechanisms. Using this approach, effects of SDoH can be made visible and the body of evidence expanded. Importantly, it elicits stakeholders' perspectives on a complex reality and offers a non-arbitrary way of formulating the model structure. This qualitative model is also well suited to serve as conceptual input for a quantitative model, which can be used to test and estimate the relationships.

Exploring changes in integration, differentiation, rules, coordination and performance following the introduction of a hospital planning centre: a case study.

PURPOSE: This study explores how a hospital works, which is important for further enhancing hospital performance. Following the introduction of a Hospital Planning Centre (HPC), changes are explored in a hospital in terms of integration (the coordination and alignment of tasks), differentiation (the extent to which tasks are segmented into subsystems), rules, coordination mechanisms and hospital performance. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A case study was conducted examining the hospital's social network, rules, coordination mechanisms and performance both before and after the introduction of the HPC. All planning and execution tasks for surgery patients were studied using a naturalistic inquiry and mixed-method approach. FINDINGS: After the introduction of the HPC, the overall network structure and coordination mechanisms and coordination mechanisms remained largely the same. Integration and certain rules changed for specific planning tasks. Differentiation based on medical discipline remained. The number of local rules decreased and hospital-wide rules increased, and these remained largely in people's minds. Coordination mechanisms remained largely unchanged, primarily involving mutual adjustment and standardization of work both before and after the introduction of the HPC. Overall, the hospital's performance did not change substantially. The findings suggest that integration seems to "emerge" instead of being designed. Hospitals could benefit, we argue, from a more conscious system-wide approach that includes collective learning and information sharing. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This exploratory study provides in-depth insight into how a hospital works, yielding important knowledge for further research and the enhancement of hospital performance.

Identifying client characteristics to predict homecare use more accurately: a Delphi-study involving nurses and homecare purchasing specialists.

BACKGROUND: Case-mix based prospective payment of homecare is being implemented in several countries to work towards more efficient and client-centred homecare. However, existing models can only explain a limited part of variance in homecare use, due to their reliance on health- and function-related client data. It is unclear which predictors could improve predictive power of existing case-mix models. The aim of this study was therefore to identify relevant predictors of homecare use by utilizing the expertise of district nurses and health insurers. METHODS: We conducted a two-round Delphi-study according to the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method. In the first round, participants assessed the relevance of eleven client characteristics that are commonly included in existing case-mix models for predicting homecare use, using a 9-Point Likert scale. Furthermore, participants were also allowed to suggest missing characteristics that they considered relevant. These items were grouped and a selection of the most relevant items was made. In the second round, after an expert panel meeting, participants re-assessed relevance of pre-existing characteristics that were assessed uncertain and of eleven suggested client characteristics. In both rounds, median and inter-quartile ranges were calculated to determine relevance. RESULTS: Twenty-two participants (16 district nurses and 6 insurers) suggested 53 unique client characteristics (grouped from 142 characteristics initially). In the second round, relevance of the client characteristics was assessed by 12 nurses and 5 health insurers. Of a total of 22 characteristics, 10 client characteristics were assessed as being relevant and 12 as uncertain. None was found irrelevant for predicting homecare use. Most of the client characteristics from the category 'Daily functioning' were assessed as uncertain. Client characteristics in other categories - i.e. 'Physical health status', 'Mental health status and behaviour', 'Health literacy', 'Social environment and network', and 'Other' - were more frequently considered relevant. CONCLUSION: According to district nurses and health insurers, homecare use could be predicted better by including other more holistic predictors in case-mix classification, such as on mental functioning and social network. The challenge remains, however, to operationalize the new characteristics and keep stakeholders on board when developing and implementing case-mix classification for homecare prospective payment.

In the Eye of the Storm: A Quantitative and Qualitative Account of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dutch Home Healthcare.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected healthcare delivery across the world. However, little is known about COVID-19's impact on home healthcare (HHC) services. Our study aimed to: (1) describe the changes in volume and intensity of HHC services and the crisis management policies implemented; (2) understand the responses and the experiences of HHC staff and clients. We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed methods study. First, retrospective client data (N = 43,495) from four Dutch HHC organizations was analyzed. Second, four focus group interviews were conducted for the strategic, tactical, operational, and client levels of the four HHC organizations. Our results showed that both the supply of and demand for Dutch HHC decreased considerably, especially during the first wave (March-June 2020). This was due to factors such as fear of infection, anticipation of a high demand for COVID-19-related care from the hospital sector, and lack of personal protective equipment. The top-down management style initially applied made way for a more bottom-up approach in the second wave (July 2020-January 2021). Experiences vary between levels and waves. HHC organizations need more responsive protocols to prevent such radical scaling-back of HHC in future crises, and interventions to help HHC professionals cope with crisis situations.

There and back again. Examining the development of employee commitment during a prolonged crisis.

To effectively function and adapt in crises, healthcare organizations rely on the skills and commitment of their workforce. Yet, our current understanding of how employees' workplace commitment is affected by and evolves throughout the course of a crisis remains limited. In this paper, we explore the commitment of hospital staff to an important workplace target, the COVID-19 crisis response, and show how this commitment develops over time. We report on an exploratory case study of hospital staff in a heavily hit region of the Netherlands. We conducted interviews with hospital executives, management, medical and support staff to uncover the issues hospitals faced in recruiting staff to provide COVID-19 care throughout the first and second wave of the crisis. Our findings suggest that while staff initially exhibited high levels of commitment to aiding in the crisis effort, staff were perceived to exhibit lower levels of commitment in the second wave, complicating the provision of COVID-19 care. We unveil three contributing factors to this shift, namely: competing demands, energy depletion and a lack of support and appreciation. Our findings suggest that while staff were initially willing to dedicate themselves and take responsibility for the crisis effort, as their other more stable commitments became more salient in the second wave, their willingness to dedicate limited resources to the crisis effort decreased. In our discussion, we examine the implications of our findings for the literature on workplace commitment, and advance our understanding of employee workplace commitment during crises.

Delineating the Type 2 Diabetes Population in the Netherlands Using an All-Payer Claims Database: Specialist Care, Medication Utilization and Expenditures 2016-2018.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the healthcare utilization and expenditures related to medical specialist care and medication of the entire type 2 diabetes population in the Netherlands in detail. METHODS: For this retrospective, observational study, we used an all-payer claims database. Comprehensive data on specialist care and medication utilization and expenditures of the type 2 diabetes population (n = 900,522 in 2018) were obtained and analyzed descriptively. Data were analyzed across medical specialties and for various types of diabetes medication (or glucose-lowering drugs [GLDs]) and other medication. RESULTS: Specialist care utilization was diverse: different medical specialties were visited by a considerable fraction of the type 2 diabetes population. Total expenditures on specialist care were €2498 million in 2018 (i.e., 10.6% of the national specialist care expenditures). In total, 97.8% of patients used other medication (not GLDs) and 81.8% used GLDs; 25.6% of medication expenditures were for GLDs. For both specialist care and medication, mean expenditures per treated patient were higher than median expenditures, indicating a skewed distribution of spending. CONCLUSION: Use of and expenditures on specialist care and medication of the type 2 diabetes population is diverse. These heterogeneous healthcare use patterns are likely caused by the presence of comorbidities. Additionally, we found that a small fraction of the population is responsible for a large share of the expenditures. A shift towards more patient-centered care could lead to health improvements and a reduction in overall costs, subsequently promoting the sustainability of healthcare systems.