Efficiency and equity of bed utilization in China's health institutions: based on the rank-sum ratio method.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to analyze the efficiency and equity of bed utilization in Please check if the section headings are assigned to appropriate levels.China's healthcare institutions and to compare and analyze the overall health resource utilization efficiency in recent years and some specific utilization conditions in 2021, to provide empirical experience for the allocation of health care resources in epidemic China. METHODS: To compare and analyze the overall health resource utilization efficiency of the whole country with that of the East, middle, and West in 2021, and to analyze the bed utilization efficiency of different types of healthcare institutions in China and the bed utilization efficiency of various types of specialist hospitals in the country in 2021 by using the rank-sum ratio method. RESULTS: In 2021, the bed utilization rate of China's health institutions was 69.82%, and the number of bed turnover times was 27.65 times; the bed utilization rate of hospitals was 74.6%, and the number of bed turnover times was 26.08 times. The number of hospital bed turnovers was highest in the western region, lowest in the central region, and close to the national average in the eastern region. The average length of stay for discharged patients was the highest in the central region, the lowest in the eastern region, and the same as the national average in the western region. The analysis of rank-sum ratio method shows that among different types of health institutions' bed utilization efficiency (r = 0.935, P = 0.000), general hospitals and traditional Chinese medicine hospitals have the best bed utilization rate, and the bed utilization rate of community health service centers (stations) needs to be improved; while among various types of specialized hospitals' bed utilization efficiency (r = 0.959, P = 0.000), oncology hospitals, thoracic hospitals, and hematology hospitals, children's hospitals have high bed utilization efficiency; leprosy hospitals, cosmetic hospitals, and stomatology hospitals have low bed utilization efficiency. Health technicians per 1,000 population are highest in the western region, lowest in the central region, and lower in the eastern region than in the western region but slightly higher than the national average. The number of beds in health institutions per 1,000 population is the highest in the central region, the lowest in the eastern region, and slightly lower in the northwest than in the central region but higher than the national average. CONCLUSION: China's investment in health funding in the field of health care has been on the rise in recent years. However, there still exists the situation of uneven investment in health expenses and inconsistent medical efficiency among regions. And change such a status quo can be further improved in terms of government, capital, human resources, technology, information system, and so on.

Barriers and facilitators to the provision of maternal health services at community health centers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Experiences of midwives in Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of midwives in Indonesia on the provision of maternal health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN AND METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study using focus group discussions was undertaken. A conventional content analysis was used to analyze the data. Coding categories were generated from the transcripts. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-two midwives from five community health centers of three regions in the Province of Jambi, Indonesia were included. FINDINGS: The interviewees shared similar barriers and facilitators in delivering the services, including the unavailability of adequate protective equipment, the limitation of the number of services, and dealing with the new public health measures related to the COVID-19. Overall, midwives demonstrated a continued commitment to provide maternal health services during the pandemic. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Significant changes in service delivery have been made to comply with pandemic related restrictions. Despite the unprecedentedly difficult working environment, the midwives continue to provide adequate services to the community by implementing a strict health protocol. Findings from this study contribute to a better understanding of how the quality of the services changed, as well as how new challenges can be addressed and positive changes can be reinforced.

The association between chiropractic integration in an Ontario community health centre and continued prescription opioid use for chronic non-cancer spinal pain: a sequential explanatory mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that access to chiropractic care may reduce the likelihood of initiating an opioid prescription for spinal pain; however, the impact of chiropractic care for patients already prescribed opioids is uncertain. We undertook a sequential explanatory mixed methods study to evaluate the association between initiating chiropractic care and continued opioid use among adult patients attending an Ontario community health centre (CHC) and receiving opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer spinal pain. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 210 patient records between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2020. We used generalized estimating equations, adjusted for patient demographics, co-morbidities, visit frequency, and calendar year, to evaluate the association between receipt versus non-receipt of chiropractic services and continued opioid use (e.g., unique opioid fills, number of refills, and dosages) up to one year following the index chiropractic visit. We also completed follow-up interviews with 14 patients and nine general practitioners from the CHC and integrated these data with our quantitative findings. RESULTS: Over 12-month follow-up, there were lower rates of opioid fills (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-0.83) and refills (IRR = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.17-0.42) among chiropractic recipients (n = 49) versus non-recipients (n = 161). Although patients who did and did not receive chiropractic care began the study with the same dose of opioids, recipients were less likely to be prescribed higher-dose opioids (i.e., ≥ 50 mg morphine equivalents daily) compared to non-recipients at three months (odds ratio [OR] = 0.14; 95% CI, 0.04-0.47), six months (OR = 0.14; 95% CI, 0.05-0.40), nine months (OR = 0.19; 95% CI, 0.07-0.57), and 12 months (OR = 0.22; 95% CI, 0.08-0.62). Interviews suggested that patient self-efficacy, limited effectiveness of opioids for chronic pain, stigma regarding use of opioids, and access to chiropractic treatment were important influencing factors. CONCLUSION: We found that continued prescription opioid use among patients with chronic non-cancer spinal pain who received chiropractic care was lower than in patients who did not receive chiropractic care. Four themes emerged in our qualitative interviews to help provide a richer understanding of this association. Randomized controlled trials are needed to establish the effect of chiropractic care on opioid use for chronic spinal pain.

Association of Chiropractic Care With Receiving an Opioid Prescription for Noncancer Spinal Pain Within a Canadian Community Health Center: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between receipt of chiropractic services and initiating a prescription for opioids among adult patients with noncancer spinal pain in a Canadian community health center. METHODS: In this sequential explanatory mixed methods analysis, we conducted a retrospective study of 945 patient records (January 2014 to December 2020) and completed interviews with 14 patients and 9 general practitioners. We used Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, adjusted for patient demographics, comorbidities, visit frequency, and calendar year to evaluate the association between receipt of chiropractic care and time to first opioid prescription up to 1 year after presentation. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically and integrated with our quantitative findings. RESULTS: There were 24% of patients (227 of 945) with noncancer spinal pain who received a prescription for opioids. The risk of initiating a prescription for opioids at 1 year after presentation was 52% lower in chiropractic recipients vs nonrecipients (hazard ratio [HR], 0.48; 99% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-0.77) and 71% lower in patients who received chiropractic services within 30 days of their index visit (HR, 0.29; 99% CI, 0.13-0.68). Patients whose index visit date was in a more recent calendar year were also less likely to receive opioids (HR, 0.86; 99% CI, 0.76-0.97). Interviews suggested that self-efficacy, access to chiropractic services, opioid stigma, and treatment impact were influencing factors. CONCLUSION: Patients with noncancer spinal pain who received chiropractic care were less likely to obtain a prescription for opioids than patients who did not receive chiropractic care.

Barriers and enablers to the provision of postnatal newborn care at community health centres in Sikka district, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined routine newborn care practices provided in the postnatal ward of primary health care facilities, known as Puskesmas, in Sikka District of eastern Indonesia The newborn mortality rate in this region is higher than the national rate despite an increasing proportion of facility based births, suggesting suboptimal quality of newborn care. DESIGN: We employed a mixed methods study combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, in four purposively sampled Puskesmas. Nine mothers, twelve midwives, and four key informants were interviewed on the provision and experience of postnatal care, and an audit of postnatal care processes, including observation of routine postnatal check-up was conducted. The data were analyzed using framework analysis and standard descriptive statistics. FINDINGS: Despite appropriate regulation, national guidance on postnatal care and adequate financing that supported continuity of supplies and equipment, postnatal care practices, including counselling around newborn danger signs, did not meet the national guidelines in any of the Puskesmas in this study. Postnatal care was a low priority, the responsibility often given to new graduates on voluntary placements with little job security, who were insufficiently trained or supervised. In addition, inadequate water and sanitation in postnatal care wards deterred women from staying for the recommended postnatal observation period. CONCLUSION: Despite strong support for postnatal care at the policy level, at the implementation level postnatal newborn care is not prioritised by midwives. Under-functioning infrastructure and inadequate planning and budgeting for postnatal check-ups are major challenges to the provision of care in the postnatal wards.

Experiences of midwives on Vscan limited obstetric ultrasound use: a qualitative exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia is a low-income country located in the horn of Africa's sub-Saharan region, with very high incidences of maternal and neonatal mortality. Quality antenatal care improves perinatal health outcomes. The USAID funded Transform: Primary Health Care Activity in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and GE Healthcare introduced Vscan limited obstetric ultrasound services in 120 health centers in Ethiopia. So far, the experiences and opinions of midwives on their use have not been explored and described within the local context. This study therefore aims to explore and describe the experiences and opinions of midwives on Vscan limited obstetric ultrasound services at health centers within Ethiopia. METHODS: An exploratory and descriptive qualitative study was conducted in Amhara, Oromia, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' (SNNP) regions of Ethiopia. Twenty-four participants were selected through a purposeful sampling technique. In-depth individual interviews with trained midwives with practical hands-on limited obstetric ultrasound service provision experience were conducted. The thematic analysis was conducted manually. RESULTS: The qualitative data analysis on the experiences and opinions of midwives revealed three themes, namely: individual perception of self-efficacy, facilitators, and barriers of limited obstetric ultrasound services. The basic ultrasound training, which was unique in its organization and arrangement, prepared and built the self-efficacy of trainees in executing their expected competencies. Support of health systems and health managers in dedicating space, availing essential supplies, and assigning human resources emerged as facilitators of the initiated limited obstetric ultrasound services, whereas high workload on one or two ultrasound trained midwives, interruption of essential supplies like paper towels, gel, and alternative power sources were identified as barriers for limited ultrasound services. CONCLUSION: This study explored the experiences and opinions of midwives who were trained on the provision of limited obstetric ultrasound services and served the community in health centers in rural parts of Ethiopia. The results of this study revealed the positive impacts of the intervention on the perceived self-efficacy, facilitation, and breaking-down of barriers to obstetric ultrasound services. Before scaling-up limited obstetric ultrasound interventions, health managers should ensure and commit to availing essential supplies (e.g., paper towels, ultrasound gel, and large memory hard discs), arranging private rooms, and training other mid-level health professionals. In addition, improving pregnant women's literacy on the national schedule for ultrasound scanning services is recommended.

Describing a complex primary health care population to support future decision support initiatives.

Introduction: Developing decision support tools using data from a health care organization, to support care within that organization, is a promising paradigm to improve care delivery and population health. Descriptive epidemiology may be a valuable supplement to stakeholder input towards selection of potential initiatives and to inform methodological decisions throughout tool development. We additionally propose that to properly characterize complex populations in large-scale descriptive studies, both simple statistical and machine learning techniques can be useful. Objective: To describe sociodemographic, clinical, and health care use characteristics of primary care clients served by the Alliance for Healthier Communities, which provides team-based primary health care through Community Health Centres (CHCs) across Ontario, Canada. Methods: We used electronic health record data from adult ongoing primary care clients served by CHCs in 2009-2019. We performed traditional table-based summaries for each characteristic; and applied three unsupervised learning techniques to explore patterns of common condition co-occurrence, care provider teams, and care frequency. Results: There were 221,047 eligible clients. Sociodemographics: We described 13 characteristics, stratified by CHC type and client multimorbidity status. Clinical characteristics: Eleven-year prevalence of 24 investigated conditions ranged from 1% (Hepatitis C) to 63% (chronic musculoskeletal problem) with non-uniform risk across the care history; multimorbidity was common (81%) with variable co-occurrence patterns. Health care use characteristics: Most care was provided by physician and nursing providers, with heterogeneous combinations of other provider types. A subset of clients had many issues addressed within single-visits and there was within- and between-client variability in care frequency. In addition to substantive findings, we discuss methodological considerations for future decision support initiatives. Conclusions: We demonstrated the use of methods from statistics and machine learning, applied with an epidemiological lens, to provide an overview of a complex primary care population and lay a foundation for stakeholder engagement and decision support tool development.

Risk factors of anemia among pregnant women in community health center (Puskesmas) Singgani and Puskesmas Tipo Palu.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe the risk factors of anemia among pregnant women. METHOD: We used an observational analytic study with a matched case-control study design. The sampling method used in this study is a simple random sampling technique. The sample size in this study is 138 samples that consist of 46 cases and 92 controls. The data obtained from patient medical records and analyzed statistically using the chi-square test. RESULTS: Nutritional status is a risk factor of anemia among pregnant women in Community Health Center (Puskesmas) Singgani and Puskesmas Tipo. The risk of pregnant women with chronic energy deficiency (CED) developing anemia is higher in Puskesmas Singgani compared to in Puskesmas Tipo. CONCLUSION: Prevention can be done by counseling the bride and groom about pregnancy preparation and counseling the pregnant women to pay attention to the nutritional intake, particularly the consumption of folic acid supplements and iron.

Association of chiropractic integration in an Ontario community health centre with prescription opioid use for chronic non-cancer pain: a mixed methods study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Emerging evidence from a number of primary care centres suggests that integration of chiropractic services into chronic pain management is associated with improved clinical outcomes and high patient satisfaction as well as with reductions in physician visits, specialist referrals use of advanced imaging and prescribing of analgesics. However, formal assessments of the integration of chiropractic services into primary care settings are sparse, and the impact of such integration on prescription opioid use in chronic pain management remains uncertain. To help address this knowledge gap, we will conduct a mixed methods health service evaluation of an integrated chiropractic back pain programme in an urban community health centre in Ontario, Canada. This centre provides services to vulnerable populations with high unemployment rates, multiple comorbidities and musculoskeletal disorders that are commonly managed with prescription opioids. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will use a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, which consists of a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. In the quantitative phase, we will conduct a retrospective chart review and evaluate whether receipt of chiropractic services is associated with reduced opioid use among patients already prescribed opioid therapy for chronic pain. We will measure opioid prescriptions (ie, opioid fills, number of refills and dosages) by reviewing electronic medical records of recipients and non-recipients of chiropractic services between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2020 and use multivariable regression analysis to examine the association. In the qualitative phase, we will conduct in-depth, one-on-one interviews of patients and their general practitioners to explore perceptions of chiropractic integration and its impact on opioid use. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board at McMaster University (approval number 2021-10930). The results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and in-person or webinar presentations to community members and healthcare professionals.

Mapping the Location of Health Centers in Relation to "Maternity Care Deserts": Associations With Utilization of Women's Health Providers and Services.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim was to explore the association between community health centers' (CHC) distance to a "maternity care desert" (MCD) and utilization of maternity-related health care services, controlling for CHC and county-level factors. MEASURES: Utilization as: total number of CHC visits to obstetrician-gynecologists, certified nurse midwives, family physicians (FP), and nurse practitioners (NP); total number of prenatal care visits and deliveries performed by CHC staff. RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional design comparing utilization between CHCs close to MCDs and those that were not, using linked 2017 data from the Uniform Data System (UDS), American Hospital Association Survey, and Area Health Resource Files. On the basis of prior research, CHCs close to a "desert" were hypothesized to provide higher numbers of FP and NP visits than obstetrician-gynecologists and certified nurse midwives visits. The sample included 1261 CHCs and all counties in the United States and Puerto Rico (n=3234). RESULTS: Results confirm the hypothesis regarding NP visits but are mixed for FP visits. CHCs close to "deserts" had more NP visits than those that were not. There was also a dose-response effect by MCD classification, with NP visits 3 times higher at CHCs located near areas without any outpatient and inpatient access to maternity care. CONCLUSIONS: CHCs located closer to "deserts" and NPs working at these comprehensive, primary care clinics have an important role to play in providing access to maternity care. More research is needed to determine how best to target resources to these limited access areas.

Comparing the Quality of Primary Care between Public and Private Providers in Urban China: A Standardized Patient Study.

Previous studies have been limited by not directly comparing the quality of public and private CHCs using a standardized patient method (SP). This study aims to evaluate and compare the quality of the primary care provided by public and private CHCs using a standardized patient method in urban China. We recruited 12 standardized patients from the local community presenting fixed cases (unstable angina and asthma), including 492 interactions between physicians and standardized patients across 63 CHCs in Xi'an, China. We measured the quality of primary care on seven criteria: (1) adherence to checklists, (2) correct diagnosis, (3) correct treatment, (4) number of unnecessary exams and drugs, (5) diagnosis time, (6) expense of visit, (7) patient-centered communication. Significant quality differences were observed between public CHCs and private CHCs. Private CHC physicians performed 4.73 percentage points lower of recommended questions and exams in the checklist. Compared with private CHCs, public CHC providers were more likely to give a higher proportion of correct diagnosis and correct treatment. Private CHCs provided 1.42 fewer items of unnecessary exams and provided 0.32 more items of unnecessary drugs. Private CHC physicians received a 9.31 lower score in patient-centered communication. There is significant quality inequality in different primary care models. Public CHC physicians might provide a higher quality of service. Creating a comprehensive, flexible, and integrated health care system should be considered an effective approach towards optimizing the management of CHC models.

Patterns of Usage of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Adults Visiting Health Care Centers in Mysuru, India: A Questionnaire-Based Survey.

The study intended to assess extent of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients visiting health care facilities in Mysuru, India, and factors influencing its choice. Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use was 33% and was not influenced by sociodemographic factors and individual health perceptions and habits.

Treatment at Integrated Centers Might Bridge the Academic-Community Survival Gap in Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is responsible for the most cancer-related deaths in the United States. A better understanding of treatment-related disparities and ways to address them are important to improving survival for patients with metastatic NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis using the National Cancer Database. Included in this analysis were 107,116 patients with metastatic NSCLC who were treated at academic centers (AC), community-based centers (CC), and integrated centers (IC) between 2004 and 2015. The primary end point was overall survival, with comparisons of AC, CC, and IC. RESULTS: The survival disparity between AC and CC continued to grow over the study period, from a 5.7% difference in 2-year survival to a 7.5% difference. Treatment at IC was initially associated with survival similar to CC (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93), however, later in the study period treatment at IC improved (HR, 0.74) outpacing the improvement in survival in CC (HR, 0.82) but not to the same degree as the improvement in AC (HR, 0.64). The improvement in survival at IC was noted predominantly in patients with adenocarcinoma (HR, 0.72; P < .001) but not in squamous-cell carcinoma (HR, 0.89; P value not significant). CONCLUSION: Treatment of metastatic NSCLC at IC was associated with improved survival during our study period compared with treatment at CC. This appeared to be histology-dependent, suggesting a treatment-related improvement in survival because over this period newer therapies were preferentially available for adenocarcinoma. Integrating care across treatment facilities might be one way to bridge the growing gap in survival between AC and CC.

Time to first viral load testing among pregnant women living with HIV initiated on option B+ at 5 government clinics in Kampala city, Uganda: Retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Timely viral load (VL) testing is critical in the care of pregnant women living with HIV and receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART). There is paucity of data regarding the Time to First Viral Load (TFVL) testing in resource-limited settings. METHODS: We extracted clinical and VL test data from records of a cohort of ART-naïve pregnant women living with HIV who initiated Option B + and were retained in care between 01 Jan 2015 and 31 Dec 2015. The data were verified against laboratory VL registers. TFVL (in months) was calculated based on the time difference between the date of ART initiation and FVL test. Descriptive and Cox regression analyses of data up to 30 Sep 2017 (33 months later) were done. RESULTS: Of the 622 records retrieved, 424 women were retained in care. Of 424 women retained in care, 182/424 (43%) had at least one VL result post ART initiation while 242/424 (57%) had no VL performed. Only 30/182 (16.5%) had a second VL. At six, nine, and twelve months, only 8/424 (1.9%), 47/424 (11.1%), and 94/424 (22.2%) had VL testing performed respectively post ART initiation. The median TFVL testing was 12.7 months (95 CI 11.6-13.7) post ART initiation. Across the five clinics, patient factors (age, gravidity, gestational age, marital status, and adherence at 12 months) were not significant predictors. CONCLUSION: A dismal 1.9% rate of achieving WHO-recommended TFVL testing and a median TFVL testing of twelve months post ART initiation were observed. The non-association of patient factors to these observations may suggest a serious need to review health system factors likely associated with these observations and their effective interventions.

Medical Nutrition Therapy for Adults in Health Resources & Services Administration-Funded Health Centers: A Call to Action.

Vulnerable adult populations' access to cost-effective medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for improving outcomes in chronic disease is poor or unquantifiable in most Health Resources & Services Association (HRSA)-funded health centers. Nearly 50% of the patients served at Federally Qualified Health Centers are enrolled in Medicaid; the lack of benefits and coverage for MNT is a barrier to care. Because the delivery of MNT provided by registered dietitian nutritionists is largely uncompensated, health centers are less likely to offer these evidence-based services and strengthen team-based care. The expected outcomes of MNT for adults with diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and other conditions align with the intent of several clinical quality measures of the Uniform Data System and quality improvement goals of multiple stakeholders. HRSA should designate MNT as an expanded service in primary care, require reporting of MNT and registered dietitian nutritionists in utilization and staffing data, and evaluate outcomes. Modification to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Prospective Payment System rules are needed to put patients over paperwork: HRSA health centers should be compensated for MNT provided on the same day as other qualifying visits. Facilitating the routine delivery of care by qualified providers will require coordinated action by multiple stakeholders. State Medicaid programs, Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, and other payers should expand benefits and coverage of MNT for chronic conditions, factor the cost of providing MNT into adequate and predictable payment streams and payment models, and consider these actions as part of an overall strategy for achieving value-based care.

Integrating a Multidisciplinary Pain Team and Chiropractic Care in a Community Health Center: An Observational Study of Managing Chronic Spinal Pain.

BACKGROUND: Chronic spinal pain is one of the most common diseases in the United States. Underserved patients are most affected, and disproportionately may use opioid medications as they lack access to other therapies. It is therefore important to develop systems to treat spinal pain within the primary medical home. METHODS: We designed a prospective observational pilot study at a community health center to measure the effectiveness of two interventions among an underserved population: a multidisciplinary pain team and chiropractic care. Study outcomes were pain and functional disability measured by the Pain Disability Questionnaire (PDQ), and reduction of opioid dose at baseline and 6-12 months. Multivariate linear regression was used to determine associating factors for change in PDQ scores. RESULTS: Thirty-five individuals completed baseline and follow-up PDQs from August 2018 to May 2020. Overall, the mean baseline PDQ was 92.4 +/- 6.1 and the mean follow-up PDQ was 81.9 +/- 7.7, resulting in a mean improvement of -10.6 (95% CI 1.2 - -22.3, P = .08). Participants in the chiropractic team (mean change -25.0, P = .01) and those completing the study before COVID-19 (mean change = -22.6, P < .01) were found to have significantly greater improvement at follow-up. CONCLUSION: This observational study within a community health center resulted in improvement in spinal pain and disability with chiropractic care versus a multidisciplinary pain team. Offering similar services in primary care may help to address pain and disability, and hopefully limit external referrals, advanced imaging, and opioid prescriptions.

"Caring About Me": a pilot framework to understand patient-centered care experience in integrated care - a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine patients' experiences in integrated care (IC) settings. DESIGN: Qualitative study using semistructured interviews. SETTINGS: Two IC sites in Toronto, Canada: (1) a community-based primary healthcare centre, supporting patients with hepatitis C and comorbid mental health and substance use issues; and (2) an integrated bariatric surgery programme, an academic tertiary care centre. PARTICIPANTS: The study included patients (n=12) with co-occurring mental and physical health conditions. Seven participants (58%) were female and five (42%) were male. METHODS: Twelve indepth semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of patients (n=12) with comorbid mental and physical conditions at two IC sites in Toronto between 2017 and 2018. Data were collected and analysed using grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Four themes emerged in our analysis reflecting patients' perspectives on patient-centred care experience in IC: (1) caring about me; (2) collaborating with me; (3) helping me understand and self-manage my care; and (4) personalising care to address my needs. Patients' experiences of care were primarily shaped by quality of relational interactions with IC team members. Positive interactions with IC team members led to enhanced patient access to care and fostered personalising care plans to address unique needs. CONCLUSION: This study adds to the literature on creating patient-centredness in IC settings by highlighting the importance of recognising patients' unique needs and the context of care for the specific patient population.

Effect Heterogeneity in Responding to Performance-Based Incentives: A Quasi-Experimental Comparison of Impacts on Health Service Indicators Between Hospitals and Health Centers in Malawi.

Heterogeneity of effects produced by performance-based incentives (PBIs) at different levels of care provision is not well understood. This study analyzes effect heterogeneities between different facility types resulting from a PBI program in Malawi. Identical PBIs were applied to both district hospitals and health centers to improve the performance of essential health services provision. We conducted two complementary quasi-experiments comparing all 17 interventions with 17 matched independent control facilities (each 12 health centers, five hospitals). A pre- and post-test design with difference-in-differences analysis was used to estimate effects on 14 binary quality indicators; interrupted time series analysis of monthly routine data was used to estimate effects on 11 continuous quantity indicators. Effects were estimated separately for health centers and hospitals. Most quality indicators performed high at baseline, producing ceiling effects on further measurable improvements. Significant positive effects were observed for stocks of iron supplements (hospitals) and partographs (health centers). Four quantity indicators showed similar positive trend improvements across facility types (first-trimester antenatal visits, voluntary HIV-testing of couples, iron supplementation in pregnancy, vitamin A supplementation of children); two showed no change for either type of facility (skilled birth attendance, fully immunized one-year-olds); five indicators revealed different effect patterns for health centers and hospitals. In both health centers and hospitals, the largely positive PBI effects on antenatal care included resilience against interrupted supply chains and improvements in attendance rates. Observed heterogeneity might have been influenced by the availability of specific resources or the redistribution of service use.

Trust in the referring physician reduces anxiety in an integrated community-to-hospital care system.

BACKGROUND: Continuity of care between the community and hospital is considered of prime importance for quality of care and patient satisfaction, and for trust in the medical system. In a unique model of continuity of care, cardiologists at our hospital serve as primary, community-based cardiologists one day a week. They refer patients from the community to our hospital for interventional procedures such as coronary angiography and angioplasty. We examined the hypotheses that patient anxiety during hospital-based coronary angiography is lower when a patient trusts the referring cardiologist and when the performing cardiologist also treated him/her in the community. METHODS: We administered questionnaires to 64 patients in our cardiology department within 90 min of completion of coronary angiography. The questions assessed anxiety, trust in the medical system and trust in the referring physician. Data were also collected regarding patients' demographic variables, the number of visits to the referring physician, and whether the physician who performed the coronary angiography was the physician who referred the patient to the hospital. RESULTS: Mean levels (on 7-point Likert scales) were 2.1, 5.6 and 6.7 for patient anxiety, trust in the medical system and trust in the referring physician, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that trust in the referring physician was significantly and negatively correlated with anxiety level. The number of visits to referring physicians, patients' demographic characteristics and whether the physician who performed the angiography was the same physician who referred the patient from the community were not found to be associated with patient anxiety. CONCLUSION: In this study, trusting the referring physician was associated with lower anxiety among patients who underwent coronary angiography. This trust seemed to have more positive impact than did previous contact with the physician who performed the procedure.