Spatial distribution of the "Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program" and social vulnerability: an analysis of the Brazilian metropolitan regions.

BACKGROUND: The "Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program" established in 2013 by the Brazilian Government aimed to reduce inequalities by means of an emergency provision of physicians, the improvement of medical care service in the Brazilian Unified Health System, and the expansion of medical education training in Brazil. In this context, equity should be considered when defining priorities and allocating resources. This study describes the distribution of physicians for the Program in five Brazilian metropolitan regions (MRs) and analyses whether the most vulnerable areas within each one of these regions had been prioritized in compliance with the legislation framework of the program. METHODS: This is a quantitative cross-sectional study. Official secondary data was analyzed to verify the relationship between the Index of Social Vulnerability, set up by the Institute of Applied Economic Research, and the physician allocation provided by the Program. The data were organized into categories and quintiles. For spatialization purposes, the QGIS 3.4 Madeira software was used. RESULTS: There are 2592 primary health care units, (in Portuguese, UBS), within the five MRs studied; 981 of these hosted at least one physician from the Program. In the Manaus, Recife, and the DF MRs, the 4th and 5th quintiles (the most vulnerable ones) hosted physicians in more significant proportions than the other quintiles, namely, 71.4%, 71.4%, and 52.2%, respectively, exceeding the national average (51.7%). It is worth mentioning that in the São Paulo MR, the units located in the most vulnerable quintiles (4th and 5th) also hosted physicians in proportions significantly higher than others (45.8%); however, this proportion did not reach 50%. There was no significant difference in the allocation of physicians in the Porto Alegre MR, indicating that there was no prioritization of the UBS according to vulnerability. CONCLUSIONS: These results appoint to the enormous gaps of vulnerability existing both between the analyzed MRs and internally in each one of them. It emphasizes the need for criteria for the allocation of physicians so as not to increase inequities. It also highlights the importance of the continuity of the "Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program" in the metropolitan regions, above all, in areas of extreme vulnerabilities. On the other hand, they contribute to the national debate about the importance of public policies regarding constitutional rights related to access to health care and the relevance of primary care and the "Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program" for the reduction of disparities regarding access to health care, especially for the citizens who live in regions of greater vulnerability, whether it is inside or outside large metropolitan regions.

Achieving universal health coverage in South Africa through a district health system approach: conflicting ideologies of health care provision.

BACKGROUND: Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has emerged as a major goal for health care delivery in the post-2015 development agenda. It is viewed as a solution to health care needs in low and middle countries with growing enthusiasm at both national and global levels. Throughout the world, however, the paths of countries to UHC have differed. South Africa is currently reforming its health system with UHC through developing a national health insurance (NHI) program. This will be practically achieved through a decentralized approach, the district health system, the main vehicle for delivering services since democracy. METHODS: We utilize a review of relevant documents, conducted between September 2014 and December 2015 of district health systems (DHS) and UHC and their ideological underpinnings, to explore the opportunities and challenges, of the district health system in achieving UHC in South Africa. RESULTS: Review of data from the NHI pilot districts suggests that as South Africa embarks on reforms toward UHC, there is a need for a minimal universal coverage and emphasis on district particularity and positive discrimination so as to bridge health inequities. The disparities across districts in relation to health profiles/demographics, health delivery performance, management of health institutions or district management capacity, income levels/socio-economic status and social determinants of health, compliance with quality standards and above all the burden of disease can only be minimised through positive discrimination by paying more attention to underserved and disadavantaged communities. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that in South Africa the DHS is pivotal to health reform and UHC may be best achieved through minimal universal coverage with positive discrimination to ensure disparities across districts in relation to disease burden, human resources, financing and investment, administration and management capacity, service readiness and availability and the health access inequalities are consciously implicated. Yet ideological and practical issues make its achievement problematic.

[Promotion of next generation primary care physicians: initiatives in the university training of medical students]. / Förderung des allgemeinmedizinischen Nachwuchses : Initiativen in der universitären Ausbildung von Medizinstudierenden.

BACKGROUND: There is, and will be a serious shortage of young primary care physicians in Germany. Initiatives at medical faculties focusing on primary care may increase the recruitment of young primary care physicians. OBJECTIVES: The present report describes national and international university initiatives, as well as programs for the recruitment of primary care physicians, and reports on their evaluation. METHODS: We searched medical data bases, journals and the internet using corresponding key words in the sense of a pragmatic review article. We also contacted experts who were questioned on this topic. RESULTS: Initiatives for increasing the recruitment of young general practitioners were identified at nine medical faculties in Germany. The underlying hypothesis of the existing programs is that the decision to become a primary care physician depends on the time point, extent and quality of the training at medical school. The decisive limitation of existing programs is that they have been sparsely evaluated. The available results from evaluations consistently indicate quite large positive effects on the recruitment rates; however, the underlying study designs are highly prone to bias. CONCLUSION: The identified initiatives can be grouped into three different models: (1) postgraduate studies, (2) specialized curricula for selected students with high interest in primary care and (3) longitudinal integration of primary care teaching in the obligatory curriculum. Different aspects, such as selection of the curricular model, definition of content, reimbursement of personnel and material expenses as well as evaluation are relevant to the planning and implementation of such initiatives.

The Aboriginal Population Health Training Initiative: a NSW Health program established to strengthen the Aboriginal public health workforce.

OBJECTIVES: Increasing the representation of Aboriginal people in the health workforce can contribute to improving Aboriginal people's health and wellbeing by supporting the provision of more culturally appropriate health programs and services. The Aboriginal Population Health Training Initiative aims to strengthen the Aboriginal public health workforce in New South Wales (NSW), with the long-term goal of improving the health of Aboriginal people. Type of program or service: The program provides comprehensive, competency-based public health training for Aboriginal people. METHODS: Participants undertake a series of work placements in public health, and complete a Master of Public Health degree. RESULTS: A 2014 evaluation demonstrated that the program makes an important contribution to strengthening the NSW Aboriginal public health workforce. Trainees reported a high level of satisfaction with the quality of their work placements, the flexibility of the program to support their work and study, and efforts made to ensure the program's cultural safety. The program has a high trainee retention rate (17 of 18 trainees), and all graduates have successfully gained employment within the NSW health system. LESSONS LEARNT: Three key factors contribute to the success of the program: trainees undertake their training within their communities; the structure promotes the direct application of learning through simultaneous work and study; and the NSW Government shows strong leadership and support.

An assessment of the dental public health infrastructure in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research commissioned an assessment of the dental public health infrastructure in the United States as a first step toward ensuring its adequacy. This study examined several elements of the U.S. dental public health infrastructure in government, education, workforce, and regulatory issues, focused primarily at the state level. METHODS: Data were drawn from a wide range of sources, including original surveys, analysis of existing databases, and compilation of publicly available information. RESULTS: In 2002, 72.5% of states had a full-time dental director and 65% of state dental programs had total budgets of 1 million dollars or less. Among U.S. dental schools, 68% had a dental public health academic unit. Twelve and a half percent of dental schools and 64.3% of dental hygiene programs had no faculty member with a public health degree. Among schools of public health, 15% offered a graduate degree in a dental public health concentration area, and 60% had no faculty member with a dental or dental hygiene degree. There were 141 active diplomates of the American Board of Dental Public Health as of February 2001; 15% worked for state, county, or local governments. In May 2003, there were 640 U.S. members of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry with few members in most states. In 2002, 544 American Dental Association members reported their specialty as Dental Public Health, which ranged from 0 in five states to 41 in California. Just two states had a public health dentist on their dental licensing boards. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest the U.S. dental public health workforce is small, most state programs have scant funding, the field has minimal presence in academia, and dental public health has little role in the regulation of dentistry and dental hygiene. Successful efforts to enhance the many aspects of the U.S. dental public health infrastructure will require substantial collaboration among many diverse partners.

Federal employees health benefits acquisition regulation: large provider agreements, subcontracts, and miscellaneous changes. Final rule.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing this final regulation to amend the Federal Employees Health Benefits Acquisition Regulation (FEHBAR). It establishes requirements, including audit, for Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) experience-rated carriers' Large Provider Agreements. It also modifies the dollar threshold for review of carriers' subcontract agreements; revises the definitions of Cost or Pricing Data and Experience-rate to reflect mental health parity requirements; updates the contract records retention requirement; updates the FEHB Clause Matrix; and conforms subpart and paragraph references to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) revisions made since we last updated the FEHBAR.

Health workforce governance: Processes, tools and actors towards a competent workforce for integrated health services delivery.

A competent health workforce is a vital resource for health services delivery, dictating the extent to which services are capable of responding to health needs. In the context of the changing health landscape, an integrated approach to service provision has taken precedence. For this, strengthening health workforce competencies is an imperative, and doing so in practice hinges on the oversight and steering function of governance. To aid health system stewards in their governing role, this review seeks to provide an overview of processes, tools and actors for strengthening health workforce competencies. It draws from a purposive and multidisciplinary review of literature, expert opinion and country initiatives across the WHO European Region's 53 Member States. Through our analysis, we observe distinct yet complementary roles can be differentiated between health services delivery and the health system. This understanding is a necessary prerequisite to gain deeper insight into the specificities for strengthening health workforce competencies in order for governance to rightly create the institutional environment called for to foster alignment. Differentiating between the contribution of health services and the health system in the strengthening of health workforce competencies is an important distinction for achieving and sustaining health improvement goals.

[Challenges for human resources management from successful experiences of Family Health Strategy expansion]. / Desafios para gestão do trabalho a partir de experiências exitosas de expansão da Estratégia de Saúde da Família.

This article discusses the management of the work in Family Health Strategy in four major urban centers. The research includes perspectives from different actors who compose and integrate the network of working relationships in Public Health System through questionnaires with employees of professional categories family health team and interviews with managers and representatives of professional bodies. It is a qualitative-quantitative evaluation study. The dimensions analysed were: insertion and remuneration policies, strategies and qualification of employees. The insertion and remuneration policy highlights the replacement of outsourced frames and hiring by public tender that allows links labor more stable. Other strategies are the establishment of allowance for expertise in areas of greater social vulnerability and the assimilation of specialists in Family and Community Medicine with other experts engaged in secondary services. The political will of municipal Manager to qualify the workforce of family health, maintaining the provision of adequate human resources needs of the health system is a fundamental factor for the consolidation of family health strategy in the face of the low degree of specialization of professionals to work in primary health care.

Area agencies on aging: a community resource for patients and families.

This article presents an overview of the Older Americans Act (OAA) so that home health clinicians may become more knowledgeable about this healthcare legislation. The OAA was passed in 1965 and has evolved significantly over time. The purpose of the OAA is to help older adults maintain their highest level of functional activity to remain in their homes as long as possible. Embedded within the OAA are key programs and services for older adults called Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). It is vital that home health clinicians understand how the AAAs can help their patients and families. This article educates clinicians about the available services that AAAs have to offer.

Policy challenges in American Indian/Alaska Native health professions education.

Disparities exist in the numbers of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in the health professions as compared with the general United States (US) population. Numerous factors contribute to this disparity, including inequities in education, healthcare and economic development opportunities. The basis for inequality is rooted in the policy arena. Issues in health professions education blend the arenas of health policy and education policy. Although AI/ANs have a birth right to healthcare and to education programs as a result of treaties signed between the US and tribal governments, these programs are severely under funded. To understand the disparities in health professions education for AI/ANs today, it is important to understand the history of US federal Indian policy over the last two centuries. Following a history of removal, assimilation, reorganization and termination, the current phase of federal Indian policy is tribal self-determination. As a result, opportunities exist to reduce disparities in the number of AI/AN health professionals and in health disparities. AI/AN tribes have the opportunity to work in partnership to coordinate health, education, social and economic development policy to increase the numbers of AI/AN health professionals. Tribes can also make it a priority to coordinate political advocacy efforts to improve funding for AI/AN health and education programs.

Sistema de salud de El Salvador / The health system of El Salvador

En este artículo se describen las condiciones de salud de la población salvadoreña y, con mayor detalle, el sistema de salud de El Salvador, incluyendo su estructura y cobertura, sus fuentes de financiamiento, los recursos físicos, materiales y humanos con los que cuenta, las actividades de rectoría que desarrolla el Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social, y la participación de los usuarios de los servicios de salud en la evaluación del sistema. Asimismo se discuten las más recientes innovaciones implantadas por el sistema salvadoreño de salud, dentro de las que destacan la aprobación de la Ley de Creación del Sistema Nacional de Salud que busca ampliar la cobertura, disminuir las desigualdades y mejorar la coordinación de las instituciones públicas de salud.

This paper describes the health conditions in El Salvador and the main característics of the Salvadoran health system, including its structure and coverage, its financial sources, the physical, material and human resources available, the stewardship functions developed by the Ministry of Public Health, and the participation of health care users in the evaluation of the system. It also discusses the most recent policy innovations including the approval of the Law for the Creation of the National Health System, which intends to expand coverage, reduce health inequalities and improve the coordination of public health institutions.

Desafios para gestão do trabalho a partir de experiências exitosas de expansão da Estratégia de Saúde da Família / Challenges for human resources management from successful experiences of Family Health Strategy expansion

Este artigo discute a gestão do trabalho na Estratégia de Saúde da Família em quatro grandes centros urbanos. A pesquisa contempla as perspectivas de diferentes atores que compõem e integram a rede de relações de trabalho no Sistema Único de Saúde por meio de questionários com trabalhadores das categorias profissionais da equipe de saúde da família e entrevistas com gestores e representantes das entidades profissionais. Tratase de estudo de avaliação qualiquantitativo. A política de inserção e remuneração evidencia a substituição dos quadros terceirizados e a contratação por concurso público, que possibilita vínculos trabalhistas mais estáveis. Outras estratégias são o estabelecimento de abono para atuação em áreas de maior vulnerabilidade social e a equiparação do salário dos médicos especialistas em medicina de família e comunidade com demais especialistas atuantes nos serviços secundários. A vontade política do gestor municipal para qualificar a força de trabalho da saúde da família, mantendo a oferta de recursos humanos adequados às necessidades do sistema de saúde, é fator fundamental para a consolidação da Estratégia de Saúde da Família, em face do baixo grau de especialização dos profissionais para atuar em atenção primária em saúde.

This article discusses the management of the work in Family Health Strategy in four major urban centers. The research includes perspectives from different actors who compose and integrate the network of working relationships in Public Health System through questionnaires with employees of professional categories family health team and interviews with managers and representatives of professional bodies. It is a qualitative-quantitative evaluation study. The dimensions analysed were: insertion and remuneration policies, strategies and qualification of employees. The insertion and remuneration policy highlights the replacement of outsourced frames and hiring by public tender that allows links labor more stable. Other strategies are the establishment of allowance for expertise in areas of greater social vulnerability and the assimilation of specialists in Family and Community Medicine with other experts engaged in secondary services. The political will of municipal Manager to qualify the workforce of family health, maintaining the provision of adequate human resources needs of the health system is a fundamental factor for the consolidation of family health strategy in the face of the low degree of specialization of professionals to work in primary health care.

O médico de família - SP / The family doctor: Säo Paulo State experience

Discorre sobre a criaçäo do programa Consultório Médico de Família no Estado de Säo Paulo, seus objetivos, estrutura e mecanismos de controle e avaliaçäo. Relata que a expectativa é que esse Programa se configure como porta de entrada ao sistema de saúde. Enfatiza que o Programa Consultório Médico de Família inaugura na rede um novo modelo assistencial, voltado para a atençäo médica primária, com açöes curativas e preventivas. Traz como seu objetivo geral a melhora das condiçöes de saúde do indivíduo, da família e da comunidade, racionalizando o acesso ao sistema público de assistência à saúde. Lista seus objetivos específicos. (NMPM)