Measuring with quality: the example of person-centred care

Qualitative data analysis should be embedded in routine health service measurement, management and organizational practices. The rigorous use of such analyses should become an institutional norm, comparable to the routine use of quantitative data. Our case is intended to have general relevance, but we develop it by reference to person-centred care and patient-centred outcome measures (PCOMs). The increased use of qualitative data analysis of individualized PCOMs is a crucial complementary counterweight to steps towards the standardization of PCOMs. More broadly, our argument is that health care organizations cannot make confident judgements about whether they are offering appropriate care without collecting ...

Benefit design: the perspective from health financing policy

Given the central importance of public financing to make progress towards universal health coverage (UHC), government policy on benefit design, including both service entitlements and conditions of access, significantly influences health system performance. Benefit design considers how all public funds are used and should be based on evidence and developed through a systematic process involving key stakeholders. Reducing uncertainty over entitlements and conditions of access, in particular co-payments, both reduces barriers to accessing services and improves financial protection. Finally, aligning benefit design with a range of health financing policies, as well as service with delivery objectives, provides a powerful way ...

Framework for countries to achieve an integrated continuum of long-term care

The framework for countries to achieve an integrated continuum of long-term care identifies key aspects necessary to achieve an integrated continuum of long-term care service provision and to facilitate the integration of long-term services within existing health and social care systems.

The framework will guide countries in assessing system-level components to implement sustainable and equitable long-term care actions. By applying this framework, countries can begin to develop and shape their long-term care systems as part of their universal health coverage programmes and promote investment in long-term care and the health workforce, including carers.

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Modified scoping review of the enablers and barriers to implementing primary health care in the COVID-19 context

Since the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978, countries have varied in their progress towards establishing and sustaining comprehensive primary health care (PHC) and realizing its associated vision of 'Health for All'. International health emergencies such as the coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic underscore the importance of PHC in underpinning health equity, including via access to routine essential services and emergency responsiveness. This review synthesizes the current state of knowledge about PHC impacts, implementation enablers and barriers, and knowledge gaps across the three main PHC components as conceptualized in the 2018 Astana Framework.

The Effect of Integration of Family Planning Into HIV Services on Contraceptive Use Among Women Accessing HIV Services in Low and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

There is substantial unmet need for family planning (FP) among women living with HIV (WLHIV), leading to unintended pregnancies and may contribute indirectly to increasing the risk of transmission of HIV. This review aims to determine whether integration of FP into HIV testing and care results in increased use of contraception, a reduction in unmet need for FP, improved use of safer conception methods and a reduction in unintended pregnancies in low and middle-income countries. The primary outcome of the review was contraceptive uptake and secondary outcomes included unmet need for FP, safer conception and unintended pregnancy.

The European Health Data Space: A step towards digital and integrated care systems

In December 2021, EGIDE, the Expert Group for integrated Care and Digital Health Europe, has launched a paper ‘The European Health Data Space: A step towards digital and integrated care systems’.

The paper aims to represent the views of the chronic disease community. It provides a unique combination of perspectives from academia, healthcare professionals, patients and industry. The authors acknowledge too many patients across Europe are experiencing fragmented and delayed care. COVID-19 has highlighted the weaknesses of our healthcare systems and the need for rapid transformation. The European Health Data Space can act as a catalyst for change in several ...

Implementing care for healthy ageing

The WHO concept of Healthy Ageing (ie, the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age) has initiated a global discussion about the need for shifting paradigms to reorient health and social services towards person-centred and coordinated models of care. In particular, the integration of health and social care services is critical to provide the basis for comprehensive information sharing and service delivery to support the evolution of the older person over time. The capability to monitor and respond to an older person’s changing health and social care needs will enable prompt and ...

Caring for those who care: Guide for the development and implementation of occupational health and safety programmes for health workers

Overview

Occupational health and safety programmes aim to prevent diseases and injuries arising out of, linked with or occurring in the course of work, while improving the quality and safety of care, safeguarding the health workforce and promoting environmental sustainability in the health sector.

This guide provides an overview of the key elements of occupational health and safety programmes for health workers at national, subnational and facility levels, as well as advice for the development and implementation of such programmes.

Patient-centered care in musculoskeletal practice: Key elements to support clinicians to focus on the person

Musculoskeletal rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, needs to move towards a broader biopsychosocial understanding of musculoskeletal conditions and the delivery of high-value care for people with persistent pain conditions, in which a patient-centered approach is a key feature. However, it has been reported that clinicians experience difficulties with integrating patient-centered care principles into their clinical practice. Based on a focused symposium about patient-centered care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions, held during the online 2021 World Physiotherapy Congress, the purpose of this article is to share key elements of the content of this symposium with a wider audience, aimed at enabling clinicians to ...

Intelligent Systems for Sustainable Person-Centered Healthcare

• Provides an in-depth study of person-centered healthcare conceptual background

• Presents modeling, simulation, implementation, and advanced monitoring aspects

• Offers a multidisciplinary approach-based study joining efforts of author teams coming from the international community