Projecting the fiscal impact of South Africa's contraceptive needs: Scaling up family planning post 2020.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-informed priority setting is vital to improved investment in public health interventions. This is particularly important as South Africa (SA) makes the shift to universal health coverage and institution of National Health Insurance. OBJECTIVES: To measure the financial impact of increasing the demand for modern contraceptive methods in the SA public health sector. We estimated the total cost of providing contraceptives, and specifically the budgetary impact of premature removals of long-acting reversible contraceptives. METHODS: We created a deterministic model in Microsoft Excel to estimate the costs of contraception provision over a 5-year time horizon (2018 - 2023) from a healthcare provider perspective. Only direct costs of service provision were considered, including drugs, supplies and personnel time. Costs were not discounted owing to the short time horizon. Scenario analyses were conducted to test uncertainty. RESULTS: The base-case cost of current contraceptive use in 2018 was estimated to be ZAR1.64 billion (ZAR29 per capita). Injectable contraceptives accounted for ~47% of total costs. To meet the total demand for family planning, SA would have to spend ~30% more than the estimate for current contraceptive use. In the year 2023, the 'current use' of modern contraceptives would increase to ZAR2.2 billion, and fulfilling the total demand for family planning would require ZAR2.9 billion. The base-case cost of implantable contraceptives was estimated at ZAR54 million. Assuming a normal removal rate, the use of implants is projected to increase by 20% during the 5-year period between 2019 and 2023, with an estimated 46% increase in costs. The cost of early removal of Implanon NXT is estimated at ZAR75 million, with total contraception costs estimated at ZAR102 million in 2019, compared with ZAR56 million when a normal removal rate is applied. CONCLUSIONS: The costs of scaling up modern contraceptives in SA are substantial. Early and premature removals of implantable contraceptives are costly to the nation and must be minimised. The government should consider conducting appropriate health technology assessments to inform the introduction of new public health interventions as SA makes the shift to universal health coverage by means of National Health Insurance.

A window-DEA based efficiency evaluation of the public hospital sector in Greece during the 5-year economic crisis.

The main objective of this study was to apply the non-parametric method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to measure the efficiency of Greek NHS hospitals between 2009-2013. Hospitals were divided into four separate groups with common characteristics which allowed comparisons to be carried out in the context of increased homogeneity. The window-DEA method was chosen since it leads to increased discrimination on the results especially when applied to small samples and it enables year-by-year comparisons of the results. Three inputs -hospital beds, physicians and other health professionals- and three outputs-hospitalized cases, surgeries and outpatient visits- were chosen as production variables in an input-oriented 2-year window DEA model for the assessment of technical and scale efficiency as well as for the identification of returns to scale. The Malmquist productivity index together with its components (i.e. pure technical efficiency change, scale efficiency change and technological scale) were also calculated in order to analyze the sources of productivity change between the first and last year of the study period. In the context of window analysis, the study identified the individual efficiency trends together with "all-windows" best and worst performers and revealed that a high level of technical and scale efficiency was maintained over the entire 5-year period. Similarly, the relevant findings of Malmquist productivity index analysis showed that both scale and pure technical efficiency were improved in 2013 whilst technological change was found to be in favor of the two groups with the largest hospitals.

Trends in Procedure Type, Morbidity and In-Hospital Outcomes of Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease: Data from the Brazilian Public Health System.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is rising worldwide, with considerable impact on health care systems. METHODS: We aimed to characterize the trends in therapeutic procedures and outcomes of PAD in the Brazilian Public Health System Database (DataSUS) between 2008 and 2012. RESULTS: The number of hospitalizations remained stable from 2008 to 2012, although there was a significant change in the proportions of treatment modalities. In 2008, surgical revascularization (SR) = 8,001 (29%), endovascular revascularization (EVR) = 3,207 (11%), and clinical treatment (CT) = 16,887 (60%); and in 2012, SR = 7,882 (28%), EVR = 5,044 (18%), and CT = 15,225 (54%); P < 0.001, a 57% increase in EVR, and 9.8% decrease in CT. Total costs raised 37% (US $18.2-24.9 million, P < 0.001), with a marked 92% increase in EVR costs (US $5.1-9.8 million), compared with SR (11%) and CT (30%). Mortality decreased for EVR (2.0-1.4%, P = 0.048), increased for CT (5.1-5.8%, P = 0.002) and remained stable for SR. A nonsignificant increase was observed in total mortality (5.7-5.9%, P = NS). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis depicts the high-PAD mortality in Brazil emphasizing the need of preventing and controlling cardiovascular risk factors. The impact of PAD in costs increased, mainly because of costs related to EVR.

Trends in treatment of anterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee in the public and private healthcare systems of Brazil.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Orthopedic surgery implies high costs for both public and private healthcare. The aim of this study was to better understand the differences between the public and private sectors regarding treatment of a damaged anterior cruciate ligament, which is a common knee injury. DESIGN AND SETTING Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted during the Brazilian Orthopedics Congress in Brasília. METHODS We applied questionnaires during the 2010 Brazilian Orthopedics Congress, with participation by 241 knee surgeons from 24 Brazilian states. This was followed by statistical analysis on the data that were obtained. RESULTS The orthopedic surgeons who were evaluated used different approaches and treatment options in different Brazilian states, comparing between the public and private systems. CONCLUSION Both in the public and in the private systems in Brazil, because of non-medical issues surrounding the treatment, the best medical decision is not always made. This may be harmful both to patients and to physicians.

Implementing the essential medicine concept in the country with the highest GDP per capita in the world.

Qatar, an oil-exporting country with a population of about 1.7 million, achieved the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the world in 2010. Total health expenditure as a percentage of GDP in 2010 in Qatar was 2.0%, with the government's share at 75% of the total health care budget. Hamad Medical Corporation hospitals and the independent public Qatar Primary Health Care PHC) centres are the main public health care service providers. PHC consists of 24 centres providing a wide range of health services. The PHC medicines list is a subset of the Hamad Medical Corporation medicine list. However, the PHC list of medicines could be improved both in its selection procedures and medicines included to correlate more directly to type of medical services provided by the Qatar PHC system in its different types of centres.

Trends in treatment of anterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee in the public and private healthcare systems of Brazil / Tendencias de tratamento das lesoes do ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho nos sistemas de saude publica e privada do Brasil

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Orthopedic surgery implies high costs for both public and private healthcare. The aim of this study was to better understand the differences between the public and private sectors regarding treatment of a damaged anterior cruciate ligament, which is a common knee injury. DESIGN AND SETTING Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted during the Brazilian Orthopedics Congress in Brasília. METHODS We applied questionnaires during the 2010 Brazilian Orthopedics Congress, with participation by 241 knee surgeons from 24 Brazilian states. This was followed by statistical analysis on the data that were obtained. RESULTS The orthopedic surgeons who were evaluated used different approaches and treatment options in different Brazilian states, comparing between the public and private systems. CONCLUSION Both in the public and in the private systems in Brazil, because of non-medical issues surrounding the treatment, the best medical decision is not always made. This may be harmful both to patients and to physicians. .

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO Cirurgias ortopédicas implicam alto custo para a saúde pública e privada. O objetivo deste estudo foi de entender melhor as diferenças entre os sistemas público e privado em relação ao tratamento da lesão do ligamento cruzado anterior, que é uma lesão comum do joelho. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL Estudo transversal descritivo, realizado durante Congresso Brasileiro de Ortopedia em Brasília. MÉTODOS Aplicamos questionários durante o Congresso Brasileiro de Ortopedia de 2010, com a participação de 241 cirurgiões de joelho de 24 estados brasileiros. Posteriormente foi feita análise estatística nos dados obtidos. RESULTADOS Diferentes condutas e opções de tratamento em diferentes estados brasileiros são realizadas pelos ortopedistas avaliados, quando comparadas em relação à atuação no sistema público e privado. CONCLUSÃO No Brasil, tanto no sistema público como no privado nem sempre a melhor decisão é tomada por conta de efeitos outros que não a decisão médica, fato que tem sido maléfico para o paciente e para o médico. .

Health care trends and vascular specialists: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Current health care trends include movements toward general health care reform and rapidly evolving changes affecting treatment of vascular disease. Government-sponsored programs and private coalitions increasingly influence practice management and patient care. Emerging organizational influences derive from public perceptions, policies, laws, and regulations intended to make health care safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. These trends energized methods of quality assessment, cost containment, and practice protocols over individual judgments and seek to exert increasing direction over clinical practice. Some evolving measures are good, some controversial, and some, without deliberate intent, may be harmful. This review considers evolving initiatives in the context of ethics of practice and practicalities of managing patients with vascular disease. Key issues include compliance with purely process-based measures, pay for performance, and assessment of quality outcomes. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential threats to vascular practice are outlined.

Challenges in umbilical cord blood stem cell banking for stem cell reviews and reports.

Twenty years has passed since the first report of a successful cord blood transplant was reported in 1989 in a child with Fanconi's anemia. During these 20 years, the cord blood field has had dramatic growth, with over 400,000 cord blood units donated and stored worldwide for unrelated use. Approximately, 14,000 unrelated cord blood transplants have been performed to date for patients with hematologic malignancies and bone marrow disorders, and who do not have matched family or unrelated donors. In contrast, about 900,000 cord blood units have been stored privately for personal use, with about 100 autologous transplants performed. Twenty years ago, due to the low cell dose, cord blood transplants were only performed in children. Today, with the use of better banking techniques, reduced intensity transplants, and double cord blood transplantation, the majority of cord blood transplants are being performed in adults. In this chapter, we review the scientific basis for cord blood transplantation, and outcome data in both pediatric and adult transplantation. We will then focus on the recent concerns regarding private and public cord blood banking. Finally, we discuss the future of cord blood transplantation, and the exciting work beginning outside of oncology.

Sub-specialisation in surgery and the continuing challenge of providing emergency surgery services.

The future viability of general surgery may depend on combining subspecialty elective surgery with full-scope acute practice in both public and private settings.

Inovações na intermediação entre os setores público e privado na assistência à saúde / Innovations in the intermediation between public and private sectors in health care

Este artigo busca uma aproximação de algumas das mudanças em curso no sistema de saúde, focalizando especificamente o setor privado prestador de serviços de saúde, que, ao longo das últimas décadas, vem mantendo peso decisivo na condução da política de saúde. Nesse sentido, importa mapear as diferentes modalidades sob as quais se insere a iniciativa privada na prestação de serviços de saúde, mostrando as mudanças mais significativas na relação entre o setor público e o privado, tendo como contraponto o contexto das décadas de 1970 e 1980. Algumas dessas modalidades se constituem, na verdade, de uma intensificação ou consolidação de padrões e tendências presentes desde os anos 70, como o setor que integra as seguradoras de saúde e as empresas de medicina de grupo. Outras, como a atuação das cooperativas médicas junto ao setor público, mostram-se como tendências em expansão numa conjuntura de crise fiscal do estado e regressividade dos investimentos no campo social.

Hazardous pesticides in Central America.

Pesticides are an extensively documented occupational and environmental hazard in Central America. Yet, severe problems persist. Toxic pesticide use in the Region increased during 1985-1999. High exposure levels and ineffectiveness of personal protective equipment evidence the difficulties for risk reduction. Acute poisonings remain a severe problem. Delayed and/or long-lasting health effects include dermatoses, cancer, and genotoxic, neurotoxic, and respiratory effects. The use of hazardous pesticides persists through deficiencies in government-driven assessment and risk management; excessive focus on regional harmonization; short-term economic interests; strong links between industry and governments; aggressive marketing; weak trade unions; and failure of universities to reach decision makers. Regulation based on local data is lacking. An agreement of the Ministries of Health for restricting the most toxic pesticides in Central America has potential for progress. The most effective way to reduce risk is to greatly reduce pesticide use. Actions needed include development of multidisciplinary strategies for local studies on health and environmental impact of pesticides; development of sustainable nonchemical agricultural technologies; evaluation of interventions; extending and sharing of expertise within the Region; strengthening of unions and communities; and redefining the role of industry toward development of safer products, with responsible marketing and reliable information.

A recente reforma dos serviços de saúde na província do Québec, Canadá: as fronteiras da preservaçäo de um sistema público / Recent health services reform in Quebec Province, Canada: on the frontier of preserving a public system

Analisa mudanças recentes no sistema de saúde canadense por meio do estudo de caso do Quebec. Ultima província a adotar princípios federais de universalizaçäo, integralidade e gestäo pública, sua reforma realizada em 1971 ultrapassou esses objetivos com características inovadoras. Na década de 80 e início dos anos 90, ocorrem avaliaçöes nessa província e no conjunto canadense, iniciando-se um período de transformaçöes. As principais medidas em curso säo descritas: descentralizaçäo e gestäo regional, virada ambulatorial, reduçäo seletiva da oferta, novos mecanismos de alocaçäo de recursos e de controle social. Observa-se uma tendência para um ambiente de competiçäo pública, mas o modo de regulaçäo adotado näo corresponde aos principais modelos discutidos para países centrais. Em um cenário de restriçöes orçamentárias, medidas tecnocraticamente definidas permitiram acomodar interesses, preservando princípios norteadores do sistema. Essa constataçäo é uma contribuiçäo importante da análise comparada para reformas de países periféricos. Relaçöes dessas medidas com a tendência de controle de custos e políticas de ajustes säo apontadas, discutindo-se implicaçöes nos serviços.

O anacronismo dos modelos assistenciais na área da saúde: mudar e inovar, desafios para o setor público e o privado / Assistential models anachronism in the health: change and inovate, challenges to public and private sector

Este artigo se propõe a analisar a organização do setor saúde, particularmente o setor privado, a partir das informações obtidas no estudo realizado pelo IBGE/PNAD sobre a utilização e o acesso dos serviços de saúde. A deficiência do modelo de atenção, evidenciada com a ampliação da população idosa, é analisada, e são apresentadas informações sobre o consumo e o custo das "novas doenças", decorrentes do rápido processo de envelhecimento - as doenças crônicas -, e seu impacto na atual estrutura de assistência à saúde. Hospitais, equipamentos de alto custo e modo de captação da clientela são itens que fazem parte da análise e ratificam a hipótese discutida sobre o anacronismo do setor saúde, na atual estrutura assistencial em nosso país.