The International journal of health planning and management
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Int J Health Plann Manage · Apr 2014
Advancing universal coverage of healthcare in China: translating political will into policy and practice.
China launched its new health system reform plan in 2009 to advance its universal coverage of healthcare, after more than 4 years' consultations and discussions with various stakeholders including the public. This paper aims to introduce and discuss the context and process of China's current health system reform and analyse how political will in China has been translated into policy practice over the past decade. The paper also shares the insights of World Health Organization's contribution to China's health system reform, as the authors advised the Chinese government on the reform options and process. Furthermore, the paper describes and discusses key challenges in the implementation of the reform plan over the past 3 years and draws lessons for other countries.
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Int J Health Plann Manage · Apr 2014
Submerged discontent and patterns of accommodation: a case study of doctors' pay in two public hospitals in China.
The article evaluates submerged discontent among Chinese public hospital doctors (Note1) regarding their pay and patterns of accommodation, including doctors' responses through formal and informal actions in the context of health service marketization. On the basis of a case study of two public hospitals, the article illustrates the dynamical impact of marketization on Chinese doctors' pay-related dissatisfaction and health service employment relationship. ⋯ Instead, doctors' discontent is often channelled through informal, individual and subtle activities. Meanwhile, doctors' professional society is gradually influential, showing its potential of developing doctors' group identity and protecting members' interests in future.
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Int J Health Plann Manage · Jan 2014
Identifying health insurance predictors and the main reported reasons for being uninsured among US immigrants by legal authorization status.
This study identifies differences in health insurance predictors and investigates the main reported reasons for lacking health insurance coverage between short-stayed (≤ 10 years) and long-stayed (>10 years) US immigrant adults to parse the possible consequences of the Affordable Care Act among immigrants by length of stay and documentation status. Foreign-born adults (18-64 years of age) from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey are the study population. Health insurance coverage predictors and the main reasons for being uninsured are compared across cohorts and by documentation status. ⋯ The analyses determine that legal status is a strong health insurance predictor, particularly among long-stayed undocumented immigrants. Immigration status is the main reported reason for lacking health insurance. Although long-stayed documented immigrants are likely to benefit from the Affordable Care Act implementation, undocumented immigrants and short-stayed documented immigrants may encounter difficulties getting health insurance coverage.
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Int J Health Plann Manage · Oct 2013
Estimating the unit costs of public hospitals and primary healthcare centers.
Many factors have affected the rise of health expenditures, such as high-cost medical technologies, changes in disease patterns and increasing demand for health services. All countries allocate a significant portion of resources to the health sector. In 2008, the gross domestic product of Palestine was estimated to be at $6.108bn (current price) or about $1697 per capita. Health expenditures are estimated at 15.6% of the gross domestic product, almost as much as those of Germany, Japan and other developed countries. The numbers of hospitals, hospital beds and primary healthcare centers in the country have all increased. The Ministry of Health (MOH) currently operates 27 of 76 hospitals, with a total of 3074 beds, which represent 61% of total beds of all hospitals in the Palestinian Authorities area. Also, the MOH is operating 453 of 706 Primary Health Care facilities. By 2007, about 40 000 people were employed in different sectors of the health system, with 33% employed by the MOH. ⋯ The findings have implications for policy and decision making in the health sector in Palestine concerning the cost of services provided by hospitals and PHCs. The availability of a standardized data set for cost assessment would greatly enhance and improve the quality of financial information as well as efficiency in the use of scarce resources.
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Int J Health Plann Manage · Jul 2013
A mixed-methods assessment of sexual and gender-based violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to inform national and international strategy implementation.
National and international strategies were implemented in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). ⋯ Mixed methodologies point to the complexities of addressing SGBV, assess key elements of SGBV prevention, justice and response, and may ultimately inform national and international strategies.