District-level health management and health system performance.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Fetene N
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6358064 | biostudies-literature | 2019
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
District-level health management and health system performance.
Fetene Netsanet N Canavan Maureen E ME Megentta Abraham A Linnander Erika E Tan Annabel X AX Nadew Kidest K Bradley Elizabeth H EH
PloS one 20190201 2
Strengthening district-level management may be an important lever for improving key public health outcomes in low-income settings; however, previous studies have not established the statistical associations between better management and primary healthcare system performance in such settings. To explore this gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 36 rural districts and 226 health centers in Ethiopia, a country which has made ambitious investment in expanding access to primary care over the ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:BackgroundAssessments over the last two decades have showed an overall low level of performance of the health system in Indonesia with wide variation between districts. The reasons advanced for these low levels of performance include the low level of public funding for health and the lack of discretion for health system managers at the district level. When, in 2001, Indonesia implemented a radical decentralization and significantly increased the central transfer of funds to district governments it was widely expected that the performance of the health system would improve. This paper assesses the extent to which the performance of the health system has improved since decentralization.MethodsWe measured a set of indicators relevant to assessing changes in performance of the health system between two surveys in three areas: utilization of maternal antenatal and delivery care; immunization coverage; and contraceptive source and use. We also measured respondents' demographic characteristics and their living circumstances. These measurements were made in population-based surveys in 10 districts in 2002-03 and repeated in 2007 in the same 10 districts using the same instruments and sampling methods.ResultsThe dominant providers of maternal and child health in these 10 districts are in the private sector. There was a significant decrease in birth deliveries at home, and a corresponding increase in deliveries in health facilities in 5 of the 10 districts, largely due to increased use of private facilities with little change in the already low use of public facilities. Overall, there was no improvement in vaccination of mothers and their children. Of those using modern contraceptive methods, the majority obtained them from the private sector in all districts.ConclusionsThere has been little improvement in the performance of the health system since decentralization occurred in 2001 even though there have also been significant increases in public funding for health. In fact, the decentralization has been limited in extent and structural problems make management of the system as a whole difficult. At the national level there has been no real attempt to envision the health system that Indonesia will need for the next 20 to 30 years or how the substantial public subsidy to this lightly regulated private system could be used in creative ways to stimulate innovation, mitigate market failures, improve equity and quality, and to enhance the performance of the system as a whole.
| S-EPMC2839983 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThe single biggest barrier for countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to scale up the necessary health services for addressing the three health-related Millennium Development Goals and achieving Universal Health Coverage is the lack of an adequate and well-performing health workforce. This deficit needs to be addressed both by training more new health personnel and by improving the performance of the existing and future health workforce. However, efforts have mostly been focused on training new staff and less on improving the performance of the existing health workforce. The purpose of this paper is to disseminate the protocol for the PERFORM project and reflect on the key challenges encountered during the development of this methodology and how they are being overcome.MethodsThe overall aim of the PERFORM project is to identify ways of strengthening district management in order to address health workforce inadequacies by improving health workforce performance in SSA. The study will take place in three districts each in Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda using an action research approach. With the support of the country research teams, the district health management teams (DHMTs) will lead on planning, implementation, observation, reflection and redefinition of the activities in the study. Taking into account the national and local human resource (HR) and health systems (HS) policies and practices already in place, 'bundles' of HR/HS strategies that are feasible within the context and affordable within the districts' budget will be developed by the DHMTs to strengthen priority areas of health workforce performance. A comparative analysis of the findings from the three districts in each country will add new knowledge on the effects of these HR/HS bundles on DHMT management and workforce performance and the impact of an action research approach on improving the effectiveness of the DHMTs in implementing these interventions.DiscussionDifferent challenges were faced during the development of the methodology. These include the changing context in the study districts, competing with other projects and duties for the time of district managers, complexity of the study design, maintaining the anonymity and confidentiality of study participants as well as how to record the processes during the study. We also discuss how these challenges are being addressed. The dissemination of this research protocol is intended to generate interest in the PERFORM project and also stimulate discussion on the use of action research in complex studies such as this on strengthening district health management to improve health workforce performance.
| S-EPMC3758965 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundQuality data from Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) are important for tracking the effectiveness of malaria control interventions. However, HMIS data in many resource-limited settings do not currently meet standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). We aimed to assess HMIS data quality and associated factors in Chad.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 14 health facilities in Massaguet district. Data on children under 15 years were obtained from the HMIS and from the external patient register covering the period January-December 2018. An additional questionnaire was administered to 16 health centre managers to collect data on contextual variables. Patient registry data were aggregated and compared with the HMIS database at district and health centre level. Completeness and accuracy indicators were calculated as per WHO guidelines. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed on the Verification Factor for attendance, suspected and confirmed malaria cases for three age groups (1 to < 12 months, 1 to < 5 years and 5 to < 15 years) to identify associations between health centre characteristics and data accuracy.ResultsHealth centres achieved a high level of data completeness in HMIS. Malaria data were over-reported in HMIS for children aged under 15 years. There was an association between workload and higher odds of inaccuracy in reporting of attendance among children aged 1 to < 5 years (Odds ratio [OR]: 10.57, 95% CI 2.32-48.19) and 5- < 15 years (OR: 6.64, 95% CI 1.38-32.04). Similar association was found between workload and stock-outs in register books, and inaccuracy in reporting of malaria confirmed cases. Meanwhile, we found that presence of a health technician, and of dedicated staff for data management, were associated with lower inaccuracy in reporting of clinic attendance in children aged under five years.ConclusionData completeness was high while the accuracy was low. Factors associated with data inaccuracy included high workload and the unavailability of required data collection tools. The results suggest that improvement in working conditions for clinic personnel may improve HMIS data quality. Upgrading from paper-based forms to a web-based HMIS may provide a solution for improving data accuracy and its utility for future evaluations of health interventions. Results from this study can inform the Ministry of Health and it partners on the precautions to be taken in the use of HMIS data and inform initiatives for improving its quality.
| S-EPMC8609810 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination as a public health problem requires the interruption of transmission by administration of preventive mass drug administration (MDA) to the eligible population living in endemic districts. Suboptimal MDA coverage leads to persistent parasite transmission with consequential infection, disease and disability, and the need for continuing MDA rounds, requiring considerable investment. Routine coverage reports must be verified in each MDA implementation unit (IU) due to incorrect denominators and numerators used to calculate coverage estimates with administrative data. IU are usually the health districts. Coverage is verified so IU teams can evaluate their outreach and take appropriate action to improve performance. Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have conducted MDA campaigns for LF since 2009 and 2014, respectively. To verify district reports and assess the declared achievement using administrative data of the minimum 80% coverage of eligible people (or 65% of the total population), both countries conducted rapid probability surveys using Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS)(n = 1102) in 2015 and 2016 in 58 IU in 49 districts. The surveys identified IU with suboptimal coverage, reasons residents did not take the medication, place where the medication was received, information sources, and knowledge about diseases prevented by the MDA. LQAS identified four inadequately covered IU triggering district team performance reviews with provincial and national teams and district retreatment. Provincial estimates using probability samples (weighted by populations sizes) were 10 and 17 percentage points lower than reported coverage in DRC and Mozambique. The surveys identified: absence from home during annual MDA rounds as the main reason for low performance and provided valuable information about pre-campaign and campaign activities resulting in improved strategies and continued progress towards elimination of LF and co-endemic Neglected Tropical Diseases.
| S-EPMC6636779 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundGlobally, immunization coverage for childhood vaccines is below the immunization target of achieving at least 90% coverage with the pentavalent vaccine. In Uganda, a recent survey shows 80% of districts had poor immunization program performance. However, there is significant variation in performance within and between districts. We hypothesized that geographic location of a health facility may influence performance of its immunization programs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether geographical location of a health facility within a district is associated with performance of the immunization program in Hoima district, western Uganda.MethodsWe conducted a cross sectional study using a mixed methods approach. The main study unit was a health center and we also interviewed health workers in-charge of the facilities and reviewed their health facility records. We reviewed the Uganda Health Management Information System (HMIS) 105 reports of six months to obtain data on immunization program performance. Performance was categorized using World Health Organization's Reach Every District (RED) criteria and classified as poor if a facility fell in category 3 or 4 and good if 1 or 2. We also conducted key informant interviews with immunization focal persons in the district. We examined the association between dependent and independent variables using Fisher's exact test.ResultsWe collected data at 49 health facilities. Most of these facilities (55.1%) had poor immunization program performance. Proximal location to the central district headquarters was significantly associated with poor immunization program performance (p < 0.05). Attitudes of health workers in the more urban areas, differences in strategies for outreach site selection and community mobilization in the rural and urban areas were suggested as possible explanations.ConclusionsProximal location to the urban setting near district headquarters was strongly associated with poor immunization program performance. To be able to reach larger numbers of children for vaccination, interventions to improve performance should target health facilities in urban settings.
| S-EPMC7686762 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPrimary health care (PHC) in Ethiopia serves as the main entry point for preventive, promotive and curative health services. The district health office is responsible for the planning, implementation and evaluation of all district health activities. In addition, district health offices manage service delivery facilities working on provision of PHC - primary hospitals, health centers and health posts. As the leader of the health care system tier, district health management must ensure direction, alignment and commitment within teams and organizations and make sure that achievements are consistent with the vision, values and strategy of the organization. USAID Transform: Primary Health Care provides diverse support to improve district health manager competencies including in-service trainings followed by planning and implementation of performance improvement projects and on-the-job mentoring and support.MethodsThis study was conducted to compare district level capacity and performances between leadership, management and governance (LMG) and non-LMG districts. Project outcome monitoring data that shows the performance of districts was collected from 284 districts from January to December 2019. The study was carried out using a comparative-cross sectional study design, which assessed and compared district health office level indicators. Districts were classified into two categories: LMG and non-LMG districts. The study compared data from 94 LMG and 190 non-LMG districts. Propensity score matching was used to control the effect of differences between LMG and non-LMG districts.ResultsResults of the independent samples t-test revealed that LMG districts scored better average performances of 61.8 ± 121.45 standard deviation (SD) compared to non-LMG districts 56.89 ± 110.39 SD, with t (282243) = - 3.407317 and p < 0.001, two-tailed. The difference of 4.9 percentage unit in the average performance indicated a statistically significant difference between the LMG and non-LMG districts.ConclusionDistrict level leadership development program contributes to improving district capacity, structure and management practices, and quality of care.
| S-EPMC7718658 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:We investigated predictors of the rural clients' satisfaction level (CSL), and interlinks between perceived specific service quality (PSSQ), perceived utility value (PUV), CSL, and clients' reactions (CR) towards current and future utilization of providers and facilities in the public-private mixed health system of Bangladesh. Methods:A quantitative study using interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted among 400 rural patients. CSL was measured both directly and indirectly. Clients' opinions of PSSQ relating to healthcare structure and process features were measured for indirectly assessing their satisfaction. PUV and CR were also measured indirectly. 5-point Likert scales were used to measure PSSQ, PUV, CSL and CR. Multiple regression and mediation were the models. Results:Clients' satisfaction was low in both health sectors with significantly lower in the public than private sector. Accessibility (financial) predicted commonly high variations in CSL both in the public (18.2%) and private sectors (25.0%). Availability predicted incomparably highest variations in CSL in the public sector (34.6%). Structural factors predicted higher variations in clients' satisfaction in the public sector, which in the private sector were service process-features. Clients' reaction was the ultimate outcome of PSSQ mediated through PUV and CSL. PUV mediated the effects of PSSQ on clients' reaction stronger than CSL. Conclusion:Financial accessibility is a crucial risk of impoverishment in both public and private sectors. Both structural and process features of healthcare are in ample needs for addressing existing low satisfaction in patients in rural Bangladesh.
| S-EPMC5683547 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVES?: PEPFAR's initial rapid scale-up approach was largely a vertical effort focused fairly exclusively on AIDS. The purpose of our research was to identify spill-over health system effects, if any, of investments intended to stem the HIV epidemic over a 6-year period with evidence from Uganda. The test of whether there were health system expansions (aside from direct HIV programming) was evidence of increases in utilization of non-HIV services-such as outpatient visits, in-facility births or immunizations-that could be associated with varying levels of PEPFAR investments at the district level. METHODS?: Uganda's Health Management Information System article-based records were available from mid-2005 onwards. We visited all 112 District Health offices to collect routine monthly reports (which contain data aggregated from monthly facility reports) and annual reports (which contain data aggregated from annual facility reports). Counts of individuals on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) at year-end served as our primary predictor variable. We grouped district-months into tertiles of high, medium or low PEPFAR investment based on their total reported number of patients on ART at the end of the year. We generated incidence-rate ratios, interpreted as the relative rate of the outcome measure in relation to the lowest investment PEPFAR tertile, holding constant control variables in the model. RESULTS?: We found PEPFAR investment overall was associated with small declines in service volumes in several key areas of non-HIV care (outpatient care for young children, TB tests and in-facility deliveries), after adjusting for sanitation, elementary education and HIV prevalence. For example, districts with medium and high ART investment had 11% fewer outpatient visits for children aged 4 and younger compared with low investment districts, incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 0.89 for high investment compared with low (95% CI, 0.85-0.94) and IRR of 0.93 for medium compared with low (0.90-0.96). Similarly, 22% fewer TB sputum tests were performed in high investment districts compared with low investment, [IRR 0.78 (0.72-0.85)] and 13% fewer in medium compared with low, [IRR 0.88 (0.83-0.94)]. Districts with medium and high ART investment had 5% fewer in-facility deliveries compared with low investment districts [IRR 0.95 for high compared with low, (91-1.00) and 0.96 for medium compared with low (0.93-0.99)]. Although not statistically significant, the rate of maternal deaths in high investment district-months was 13% lower than observed in low investment districts. CONCLUSIONS?: This study sought to understand whether PEPFAR, as a vertical programme, may have had a spill-over effect on the health system generally, as measured by utilization. Our conclusion is that it did not, at least not in Uganda.
| S-EPMC4977428 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThere is some evidence that home safety assessment and modification (HSAM) is effective in reducing falls in older people. But there are various knowledge gaps, including around cost-effectiveness and also the impacts at a health district-level.Methods and findingsA previously established Markov macro-simulation model built for the whole New Zealand (NZ) population (Pega et al 2016, Injury Prevention) was enhanced and adapted to a health district level. This district was Counties Manukau District Health Board, which hosts 42,000 people aged 65+ years. A health system perspective was taken and a discount rate of 3% was used for both health gain and costs. Intervention effectiveness estimates came from a systematic review, and NZ-specific intervention costs were extracted from a randomized controlled trial. In the 65+ age-group in this health district, the HSAM program was estimated to achieve health gains of 2800 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs; 95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 547 to 5280). The net health system cost was estimated at NZ$8.44 million (95% UI: $663 to $14.3 million). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated at NZ$5480 suggesting HSAM is cost-effective (95%UI: cost saving to NZ$15,300 [equivalent to US$10,300]). Targeting HSAM only to people age 65+ or 75+ with previous injurious falls was estimated to be particularly cost-effective (ICERs: $700 and $832, respectively) with the latter intervention being cost-saving. There was no evidence for differential cost-effectiveness by sex or by ethnicity: Māori (Indigenous population) vs non-Māori.ConclusionsThis modeling study suggests that a HSAM program could produce considerable health gain and be cost-effective for older people at a health district level. Nevertheless, comparisons may be desirable with other falls prevention interventions such as group exercise programs, which also provide social contact and may prevent various chronic diseases.
| S-EPMC5598974 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: According to the World Health Organization, there were more than 228 million cases of malaria globally in 2018, with 93% of cases occurring in Africa; in Mali, a 13% increase in the number of cases was observed between 2015 and 2018; this study aimed to evaluate the impact of meteorological and environmental factors on the geo-epidemiology of malaria in the health district of Dire, Mali. Methods: Meteorological and environmental variables were synthesized using principal component analysis and multiple correspondence analysis, the relationship between malaria incidence and synthetic indicators was determined using a multivariate general additive model; hotspots were detected by SaTScan. Results: Malaria incidence showed high inter and intra-annual variability; the period of high transmission lasted from September to February; health areas characterized by proximity to the river, propensity for flooding and high agricultural yield were the most at risk, with an incidence rate ratio of 2.21 with confidence intervals (95% CI: 1.85-2.58); malaria incidence in Dire declined from 120 to 20 cases per 10,000 person-weeks between 2013 and 2017. Conclusion: The identification of areas and periods of high transmission can help improve malaria control strategies.
| S-EPMC7312793 | biostudies-literature