May 27, 2016 Africa, Americas, South-East Asia, Global Partner

USAID Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) Project

The USAID ASSIST Project is a five-year cooperative agreement of the Office of Health Systems of the USAID Global Health Bureau designed to achieve measurable improvements in health care and social services in USAID-assisted countries. The project supports the application of modern improvement methods by health care and social service providers at facility and community levels, by managers in both government and non-governmental organizations, and by U.S. Government-supported implementing partners. USAID ASSIST achieves sustainable results by building the capacity of host country systems to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, client-centeredness, safety, accessibility, and equity of the services they provide.

Within the project’s technical assistance, ASSIST has prioritized five principles of people-centered care that reflect the linkages between people-centered care, health systems strengthening, and universal health coverage: Respect and compassion; choice and empowerment; Access and support; Continuity and coordination of care; and Information. The project is committed to designing, testing ...

Oct. 5, 2020 Africa Publication

Approaches to integrating palliative care into African health systems: a qualitative systematic review

Africa is characterized by a high burden of disease and health system deficits, with an overwhelming and increasing demand for palliative care (PC). Yet only one African country is currently considered to have advanced integration of palliative care into medical services and generalized PC is said to be available in only a handful of others. The integration of PC into all levels of a health system has been called for to increase access to PC and to strengthen health systems. Contextually appropriate evidence to guide integration is vital yet limited. This qualitative systematic review analyses interventions to integrate PC into African health systems to provide insight into the ‘how’ of PC integration. Forty articles were identified, describing 51 different interventions. This study found that a variety of integration models are being applied, with limited best practices being evaluated and repeated in other contexts. Interventions typically focused on integrating specialized PC ...

Nov. 23, 2022 Europe Publication

Fit for the Future: a new plan for GPs and their patients

General practice is the cornerstone of the NHS, helping around 50 million people in England every year, carrying out 370 million consultations last year. So, when GPs and their patients tell us that general practice is in crisis, we should all be concerned.

In 2022, the RCGP launched Fit for the Future: a new plan for GPs & their patients to put pressure on politicians and decision makers with responsibility for the NHS in England to commit to a bold new plan to provide GPs and patients with the support that they need.

This campaign follows our 2019 Fit for the Future (PDF file, 1.1 MB) vision which set out how, with the right tools and support, we can revitalise and reform general practice by 2030, so that it can continue to deliver world class patient care. Pressures on general practice have since intensified even further and have been exacerbated ...

Nov. 23, 2022 Americas Publication

The Post–COVID-19 Case for Primary Care

Much has been written and discussed about challenges faced by the US health care system, with most of it justifiably concerning the payment system for medical services, and how that leaves an unconscionably large proportion of US residents uninsured or underinsured for quality care. Although payment systems are undoubtedly a challenge and merit substantial conversation, the structure of US health care delivery also leaves much to be desired.

Central to that problem is the paucity of primary care physicians in the US. The approximately 200 000 active primary care physicians in the US represent about 30% of all active physicians, down from 32% about 10 years ago. About 28% of men and 17% of women report they do not have a primary care physician. The Council on Graduate Medical Education recommended an increase in the proportion of primary care physicians to 40%, a recommendation now further from reality than ...