International Journal of Health Economics and Management最新文献

{"title":"The association of insurance plan characteristics with physician patient-sharing network structure.","authors":"Kimberley H Geissler,&nbsp;Benjamin Lubin,&nbsp;Keith M Marzilli Ericson","doi":"10.1007/s10754-021-09296-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10754-021-09296-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Professional and social connections among physicians impact patient outcomes, but little is known about how characteristics of insurance plans are associated with physician patient-sharing network structure. We use information from commercially insured enrollees in the 2011 Massachusetts All Payer Claims Database to construct and examine the structure of the physician patient-sharing network using standard and novel social network measures. Using regression analysis, we examine the association of physician patient-sharing network measures with an indicator of whether a patient is enrolled in a health maintenance organization (HMO) or preferred provider organization (PPO), controlling for patient and insurer characteristics and observed health status. We find patients enrolled in HMOs see physicians who are more central and densely embedded in the patient-sharing network. We find HMO patients see PCPs who refer to specialists who are less globally central, even as these specialists are more locally central. Our analysis shows there are small but significant differences in physician patient-sharing network as experienced by patients with HMO versus PPO insurance. Understanding connections between physicians is essential and, similar to previous findings, our results suggest policy choices in the insurance and delivery system that change physician connectivity may have important implications for healthcare delivery, utilization and costs.</p>","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"21 2","pages":"189-201"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s10754-021-09296-4","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25415023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Socioeconomic inequality in tobacco use in Kenya: a concentration analysis.","authors":"Hermann Pythagore Pierre Donfouet,&nbsp;Shukri F Mohamed,&nbsp;Eric Malin","doi":"10.1007/s10754-020-09292-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10754-020-09292-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper aims at assessing and exploring socioeconomic inequalities in tobacco use in Kenya. Using the theory of fundamental causes, and concentration index, we investigate the determinants of tobacco use, and whether it disproportionately affects the poor. All data used in this study emanated from the 2014 Global Adult Tobacco Survey implemented in Kenya on a nationally representative sample of men and women aged 15 years and older. Our results suggest a link between tobacco use and socioeconomic inequality. Overall, poorer households are more affected by tobacco use than richer households. This socioeconomic inequality is more evident among men and households living in urban areas. The decomposition of the concentration index indicates that the overall socioeconomic inequality for current tobacco smokers is explained by 69.11% of household wealth. To reduce the prevalence rate of smoking in Kenya, policymakers could design and implement tobacco control programs through the equity lens. Community health workers could be used to promote non-smoking behaviors among the poor.</p>","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"21 2","pages":"247-269"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s10754-020-09292-0","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38777856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dimensions and Indicators of Quality of Health Care Used for Healthcare Systems’ Performance Assessment","authors":"V. Nikolova","doi":"10.14748/HEM.V20I1.7672","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14748/HEM.V20I1.7672","url":null,"abstract":"Delivering high-quality health care is a central goal of all healthcare systems. Quality of health care is one of the basic components used for health system performance assessment (HSPA). Quality of health care is measured by six dimensions – effectiveness, safety, patient-centeredness, access, appropriateness, and continuity of care. This study aims to identify and systematize the most frequently used dimensions and indicators for measuring the quality of health care used for health system performance assessment. To achieve this aim the review is implemented on the base of HSPA reports from various countries and organizations as well as scientific publications related to quality of health care. Founded on the review of conceptual HSPA frameworks are identified 304 different indicators for measuring quality of health care. Most of them are focused on measuring process and outcome of health care. Effectiveness, safety and patient centeredness are the elements consist of the most used dimensions for measuring quality of health care. Certain differences in understanding of the essence of quality of health care dimensions and indicators were identified in the reports. They could be explained by the diversity of concepts of quality of health care, of health insurance models and of health care system goals in different countries. Measuring quality of health care is a key significance in health care system performance assessment. It provides important information about areas and components of the health care system which need of improvement as a basis for consequential policy and political decisions.","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75836603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Managerial competence of health care managers in hospital obstetric structures","authors":"S. Radeva","doi":"10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7675","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7675","url":null,"abstract":"Health care management in hospital obstetric and gynecological structures is carried out by managers who have organizational and communication qualities specific to the health sector, trained to perform managerial and administrative functions. Managers with their knowledge and skills of planning, organizing, directing and controlling financial, human and material resources largely determine the quality of medical care in a medical institution. Solving problems related to defining the duties, activities, rights and responsibilities of primary and senior midwives is an important condition for improving and developing the quality of medical care. It is important for practice to manage time, activity, motivation, and development by changing not only the work model, but also the approaches, activities, and thinking style of health managers at different hierarchical levels. This means a new development of flexible management competence. Management is inextricably linked to efficiency. It requires constant monitoring of the ratio of „benefits“ of results“ of each activity in different structures and hospitals, as a macronutrient. An effective manager is not just a good employee who is preferred by his subordinates. This is a person who is able to increase the usefulness of medical services with relatively limited resources. the new approach, new style and new way of thinking require managers at different levels of management in hospitals not only to understand hospital management, but also to have the qualities for successful leadership. The purpose of this work is to study the possibility of applying a methodological model of obstetric health care management and its importance for improving their quality and effectiveness. The object of the study is the management of obstetric and gynecological health care in 16 hospitals. The study is based on the use of a direct individual survey and covers 68 primary and senior midwives. Signs related to the organization of work in the ward, the role and place of the midwife in the treatment process were studied. the analysis of the survey data was aimed at characterizing obstetric care in a hospital setting and the applicability of a single health management model with the corresponding information product to the hospital information system.","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"195 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75033268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Attitudes of Bulgarian students toward the introduction of health education as a new discipline in the high school curriculum","authors":"Ivelina I Borisova, N. Mihaylov","doi":"10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7676","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7676","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Health Education as a school subject presents to high-school students knowledge about health and develops attitudes for responsible health behaviors. The school system is the second-best place, after the family, where children are be socialized and educated. Health promotion is an effective method to improve or change our health-related lifestyles. The aim of this study was to research the attitudes and opinions among school students in Bulgaria toward having Health Education as an additional subject in their school curriculum. Materials and Methods: Existing health education frameworks and programs for students were researched. Existing data on the state of children’s well-being and health attitudes among students in Bulgaria were studied using official policy and normative documents. New data were collected via a survey among school students in Bulgaria from diverse locales. In total, 720 students participated in the survey, aged 9 to 19, from the 5th to the 12th grades. The students were asked to fill in a questionnaire developed by the first author. The collected data were analyzed with statistical tools and conclusions were drawn based on the results. Results: Results from the survey show that a healthy lifestyle is quite popular among young people. Overall, they trust the information given by healthcare specialists and health institutions. Health issues are discussed formally in school several times during the school year. The students think that a new Health Education subject would be very useful and they would take part in the classes, especially if healthcare specialists present the subject. The study shows Health Education is most desired and needed by the students in the 7th grade (14 years of age). Conclusion: Existing studies show that health education in Bulgaria is still far away from what should be expected. Only the students from the largest cities are well-informed about health and healthy behaviors. Furthermore, Bulgarian youth consistently report poor health behaviors and low health status. On the other hand, in this study children underscored the importance of health education and reported high motivation to broaden their health-related knowledge.","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79127744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Под надслов „Науката преобразява животи“ премина Европейска нощ на учените 2020 в Медицински университет – Варна","authors":"Илияна Георгиева, Александър Дончев, Силвана Добрева, Ваня Маринова, Анета Докова, Т. Костадинова","doi":"10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7678","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7678","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88348278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"University Partnerships Management in Times of Pandemics – Mission (Im)Possible","authors":"Aneta Dokova, T. Kostadinova, S. Panayotova","doi":"10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7674","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7674","url":null,"abstract":"Background. The main challenges, faced by the international departments of the European universities during the COVID-19 pandemic, result from the need for fast adaptation, entirely online interaction with national and international partners, the huge amount of work, the absence of established guidelines and information about the procedures for acting under the unknown circumstances. During the coronavirus crisis the university international departments adopted a key role of communication centres with the world outside and turned into hubs for information exchange. Aim. This article aims to present and analyse the communication at the beginning of the COVID – 19 pandemic between the academic partners of the Medical University of Varna at international level with a focus on the partners under „Erasmus+“ programme in the period March – September 2020. There are four main accents of the study: 1) information about the current conditions in the countries, from which the international partners come, about the stage and the course of the disease, the changes in the training process and the state of the mobility; 2) contact with the universities with which activities are planned in the framework of bilateral agreements for academic cooperation; 3) participation in online international events; and 4) training and exchange of good practices for university partnerships and mobility management in times of COVID-19. Material and methods. Based on written documantation, electronic and virtual communication as well as the reports and observations of the officers working at the Department of International Relations and the team of the „Erasmus+“ programme, an analysis was performed of the communication during the pandemic and the impact of the social distancing on the international partnerships of the Medical University of Varna, the changes in the channels used for communication and the overall process of communication and operational activities. Results. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the summer internships and practices which became traditional for the last seven years with partner medical universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg (Russia) and Kharkiv (Ukraine) had to be cancelled. Two new agreements for academic cooperation were signed and one was resumed. Two international events were organized by Varna Medical University, in which the teams of the Department of International Relations and „Erasmus+“ programme took an active part. For the studied period of six months in the field of international cooperation, the Medical University participated in twenty online trainings, virtual meetings and conferences, organized by partner organisations, whose member Varna Medical University is. Some of them include the European University Association, the Black Sea Universities Network, the European Health Management Association and the World Health Organisation. Conclusions. The communication with the European partners proved crucial under pandemic conditions, characteri","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"148 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75658019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristics of remote teamwork among clinical research company employees","authors":"K. Dimitrova","doi":"10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7677","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14748/HEM.V20I2.7677","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Remote work is increasingly common in our times due to globalization and the revolutionary development of digital technologies. Utilizing skills such for communicating, collaborating and efficient work in the virtual environment is important for the proper functioning of teams and for the whole organization. Therefore, it is necessary to implement strategies that supports virtual teamwork and the individual performance of employees. Material and methods: Research literature on the research problem was studied and analyzed. Sociological methods were utilized to collect and analyze empirical data. An individual anonymous online questionnaire was deployed containing 29 questions: 22 closed and 7 open-ended. The respondents are employees of a clinical research company, working remotely and on site at the office located in the city of Sofia. The total number of surveyed employees is 109. A quantitative descriptive analysis of the survey data was performed. Results and discussion: The number of employees working remotely in the surveyed organization has increased by 75% from the start of the quarantine measures. Most of them have had no difficulties in adapting, and the quality of teamwork has even improved. No significant difficulties that would negatively affect teamwork and individual performance were reported. Most employees have managed to achieve a balance between personal and professional life, and even prefer remote work to working only on site at the office. Conclusion: Although some employees experience difficulties working remotely, the positive effects of the change are significantly greater. Based on the given recommendations, strategies can be developed in the organization to support the effectiveness of remote teamwork.","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79654508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Costing of healthcare services in Bulgaria – guidelines for implementing some good practices","authors":"Mincho Minev, Lyubomira Koeva-Dimitrova","doi":"10.14748/HEM.V20I1.7669","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14748/HEM.V20I1.7669","url":null,"abstract":"Costing of healthcare services is one of the most severe challenges facing hospitals’ accounting and management teams. The article presents the characteristics, advantages, and limitations of three different approaches to costing medical services – Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing, Target Costing, and Micro-Costing. We provide a summary of the international experience in their application, and guidelines for their implementation in the Bulgarian context. Aligning the costing systems with current developments in the management accounting field has the potential to improve hospitals’ cost management and their financial condition. At a health system level, accumulating reliable information on the actual cost of medical services would facilitate the process of setting fair reimbursement prices and thus result in more effective ways to spend the scarce resources.","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"327 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75048048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aspects of the development of clinical communication in medical practice","authors":"S. Radeva","doi":"10.14748/HEM.V20I1.7671","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14748/HEM.V20I1.7671","url":null,"abstract":"The dynamically developing healthcare system poses new challenges for medical professionals related to the requirements of improving the quality of medical services, ensuring timely and adequate medical care. The specifics of the profession and the working environment in a medical institution strongly depend on modern social changes. Highquality medical care is the basis for the success of the treatment and diagnostic process, any manipulation and surgical intervention. The overall success of an otherwise brilliant medical procedure depends on a long, frequent recovery period. The final result in the field of health care is largely determined from accurately performed medical measures and their understanding. Communication with the patient and especially with their loved ones is the responsibility of medical personnel, which is of great importance for the mental health of the patient. Often, after the treatment, the patient leaves the hospital, not fully completing the treatment and continuing to need medical care, medical care. Until the middle of the last century, clinical competence in the world consisted mainly of three areas: medical and technical knowledge, physical examination, and medical problem-solving. Communication is not one of them. This is a basic and necessary clinical skill at all levels of medical education and medical professions. Worldwide, clinical lcommunication training is becoming a cultural phenomenon in Canada, which is one of the leaders, as well as in Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel, the Netherlands, the Scandinavian countries, South Africa, Spain, the United States, and other places.","PeriodicalId":44403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Health Economics and Management","volume":"150 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86149306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}