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Challenges in Expanding Access to Dialysis in South Africa-Expensive Modalities, Cost Constraints and Human Rights.

ABSTRACT: South Africa is a country with two distinct health sectors, which are both characterised by inequalities. Within this context, patients with end stage renal disease face unique and sometimes impenetrable barriers to accessing dialysis. There are a number of reasons for this situation. These include: the South African government's endorsement of discordant, unequal policies, which disadvantage the most vulnerable; a lack of robust national guidelines; and divisive rationing practices, which are ad hoc and place the burden of responsibility for rationing dialysis on the clinician. In this paper, we trace the socio-economic mechanisms of how we have come to be in this situation, and overlay this with a detailed examination of South African legislation. Finally, we make comprehensive practical recommendations for rectifying the situation, which include engagement with key stakeholders, public-private partnerships, and more equitable funding mechanisms.

SUBMITTER: Etheredge H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5618166 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Challenges in Expanding Access to Dialysis in South Africa-Expensive Modalities, Cost Constraints and Human Rights.

Etheredge Harriet H Fabian June J

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) 20170731 3

South Africa is a country with two distinct health sectors, which are both characterised by inequalities. Within this context, patients with end stage renal disease face unique and sometimes impenetrable barriers to accessing dialysis. There are a number of reasons for this situation. These include: the South African government's endorsement of discordant, unequal policies, which disadvantage the most vulnerable; a lack of robust national guidelines; and divisive rationing practices, which are a ...[more]

PMID: 28758959

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Project description:Realization of the individual's right to health in settings such as sub-Saharan Africa, where health care adequate resources are lacking, is challenging. This paper demonstrates this challenge by illustrating the example of dialysis, which is an expensive but life-saving treatment for people with kidney failure. Dialysis resources, if available in sub-Saharan Africa, are generally limited but in high demand, and clinicians at the bedside are faced with deciding who lives and who dies. When resource limitations exist, transparent and objective priority setting regarding access to such expensive care is required to improve equity across all health needs in a population. This process however, which weighs individual and population health needs, denies some the right to health by limiting access to health care.This paper unpacks what it means to recognize the right to health in sub-Saharan Africa, acknowledging the current resource availability and scarcity, and the larger socio-economic context. We argue, the first order of the right to health, which should always be realized, includes protection of health, i.e. prevention of disease through public health and health-in-all policy approaches. The second order right to health care would include provision of universal health coverage to all, such that risk factors and diseases can be effectively and equitably detected and treated early, to prevent disease progression or development of complications, and ultimately reduce the demand for expensive care. The third order right to health care would include equitable access to expensive care. In this paper, we argue that recognition of the inequities in realization of the right to health between individuals with "expensive" needs versus those with more affordable needs, countries must determine if, how, and when they will begin to provide such expensive care, so as to minimize these inequities as rapidly as possible. Such a process requires good governance, multi-stakeholder engagement, transparency, communication and a commitment to progress. We conclude the paper by emphasizing that striving towards the progressive realization of the right to health for all people living in SSA is key to achieving equity in access to quality health care and equitable opportunities for each individual to maximize their own state of health.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Cancer control programs have added patient navigation to improve effectiveness in underserved populations, but research has yielded mixed results about their impact on patient satisfaction. This study focuses on three related research questions in a U.S. state cancer screening program before and after a redesign that added patient navigators and services for chronic illness: Did patient diversity increase; Did satisfaction levels improve; Did socioeconomic characteristics or perceived barriers explain improved satisfaction. METHODS:Representative statewide patient samples were surveyed by phone both before and after the program design. Measures included satisfaction with overall health care and specific services, as well as experience of eleven barriers to accessing health care and self-reported health and sociodemographic characteristics. Multiple regression analysis is used to identify independent effects. RESULTS:After the program redesign, the percentage of Hispanic and African American patients increased by more than 200% and satisfaction with overall health care quality rose significantly, but satisfaction with the program and with primary program staff declined. Sociodemographic characteristics explained the apparent program effects on overall satisfaction, but perceived barriers did not. Further analysis indicates that patients being seen for cancer risk were more satisfied if they had a patient navigator. CONCLUSIONS:Health care access can be improved and patient diversity increased in public health programs by adding patient navigators and delivering more holistic care. Effects on patient satisfaction vary with patient health needs, with those being seen for chronic illness likely to be less satisfied with their health care than those being seen for cancer risk. It is important to use appropriate comparison groups when evaluating the effect of program changes on patient satisfaction and to consider establishing appropriate satisfaction benchmarks for patients being seen for chronic illness.

Project description:Background and objectivesImproved knowledge about factors that influence patient choices when considering dialysis modality could facilitate health care interventions to increase rates of home dialysis. We aimed to quantify the attributes of dialysis care and the tradeoffs that patients consider when making decisions about dialysis modalities.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsWe conducted a prospective, discrete choice experiment survey with random parameter logit analysis to quantify preferences and tradeoffs for attributes of dialysis treatment in 143 adult patients with CKD expected to require RRT within 12 months (predialysis). The attributes included schedule flexibility, patient out of pocket costs, subsidized transport services, level of nursing support, life expectancy, dialysis training time, wellbeing on dialysis, and dialysis schedule (frequency and duration). We reported outcomes using β-coefficients with corresponding odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for choosing home-based dialysis (peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis) compared with facility hemodialysis.ResultsHome-based therapies were significantly preferred with the following attributes: longer survival (odds ratio per year, 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.25 to 2.12), increased treatment flexibility (odds ratio, 9.22; 95% confidence interval, 2.71 to 31.3), improved wellbeing (odds ratio, 210; 95% confidence interval, 15 to 2489), and more nursing support (odds ratio, 87.3; 95% confidence interval, 3.8 to 2014). Respondents were willing to accept additional out of pocket costs of approximately New Zealand $400 (United States $271) per month (95% confidence interval, New Zealand $333 to $465) to receive increased nursing support. Patients were willing to accept out of pocket costs of New Zealand $223 (United States $151) per month (95% confidence interval, New Zealand $195 to $251) for more treatment flexibility.ConclusionsPatients preferred home dialysis over facility-based care when increased nursing support was available and when longer survival, wellbeing, and flexibility were expected. Sociodemographics, such as age, ethnicity, and income, influenced patient choice.

Dataset Information

Challenges in Expanding Access to Dialysis in South Africa-Expensive Modalities, Cost Constraints and Human Rights.

Publications

Challenges in Expanding Access to Dialysis in South Africa-Expensive Modalities, Cost Constraints and Human Rights.

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