How personnel diversity and affective bonds affect performance-based financing: a moderator analysis of a difference-in-difference estimator.

To spur improvement in health-care service quality and quantity, performance-based financing (PBF) is an increasingly common policy tool, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study examines how personnel diversity and affective bonds in primary care clinics affect their ability to improve care quality in PBF arrangements. Leveraging data from a large-scale matched PBF intervention in Tajikistan including 208 primary care clinics, we examined how measures of personnel diversity (position and tenure variety) and affective bonds (mutual support and group pride) were associated with changes in the level and variability of clinical knowledge (diagnostic accuracy of 878 clinical vignettes) and care processes (completion of checklist items in 2485 instances of direct observations). We interacted the explanatory variables with exposure to PBF in cluster-robust, linear regressions to assess how these explanatory variables moderated the PBF treatment's association with clinical knowledge and care process improvements. Providers and facilities with higher group pride exhibited higher care process improvement (greater checklist item completion and lower variability of items completed). Personnel diversity and mutual support showed little significant associations with the outcomes. Organizational features of clinics exposed to PBF may help explain variation in outcomes and warrant further research and intervention in practice to identify and test opportunities to leverage them. Group pride may strengthen clinics' ability to improve care quality in PBF arrangements. Improving health-care facilities' pride may be an affordable and effective way to enhance health-care organization adaptation.

Improving access to primary health care through financial innovation in rural China: a quasi-experimental synthetic difference-in-differences approach.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate financing constrains primary healthcare (PHC) capacity in many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in rural areas. This study evaluates an innovative PHC financing reform in rural China that aimed to improve access to healthcare services through supply-side integration and the establishment of a designated PHC fund. METHODS: We employed a quasi-experimental synthetic difference-in-differences (SDID) approach to analyze county-level panel data from Chongqing Province, China, spanning from 2009 to 2018. The study compared the impact of the reform on PHC access and per capita health expenditures in Pengshui County with 37 other control counties (districts). We assessed the reform's impact on two key outcomes: the share of outpatient visits at PHC facilities and per capita total PHC expenditure. RESULTS: The reform led to a significant increase in the share of outpatient visits at PHC facilities (14.92% points; 95% CI: 6.59-23.24) and an increase in per capita total PHC expenditure (87.30 CNY; 95% CI: 3.71-170.88) in Pengshui County compared to the synthetic control. These effects were robust across alternative model specifications and increased in magnitude over time, highlighting the effectiveness of the integrated financing model in enhancing PHC capacity and access in rural China. CONCLUSIONS: This research presents compelling evidence demonstrating that horizontal integration in PHC financing significantly improved utilization and resource allocation in rural primary care settings in China. This reform serves as a pivotal model for resource-limited environments, demonstrating how supply-side financing integration can bolster PHC and facilitate progress toward universal health coverage. The findings underscore the importance of sustainable financing mechanisms and the need for policy commitment to achieve equitable healthcare access.

Supporting self-management of low back pain with an internet intervention with and without telephone support in primary care (SupportBack 2): a randomised controlled trial of clinical and cost-effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is prevalent and a leading cause of disability. We aimed to determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of an accessible, scalable internet intervention for supporting behavioural self-management (SupportBack). METHODS: Participants in UK primary care with low back pain without serious spinal pathology were randomly assigned 1:1:1 using computer algorithms stratified by disability level and telephone-support centre to usual care, usual care and SupportBack, or usual care and SupportBack with physiotherapist telephone-support (three brief calls). The primary outcome was low back pain-related disability (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire [RMDQ] score) at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months using a repeated measures model, analysed by intention to treat using 97·5% CIs. A parallel economic evaluation from a health services perspective was used to estimate cost-effectiveness. People with lived experience of low back pain were involved in this trial from the outset. This completed trial was registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN14736486. FINDINGS: Between Nov 29, 2018, and Jan 12, 2021, 825 participants were randomly assigned (274 to usual care, 275 to SupportBack only, 276 to SupportBack with telephone-support). Participants had a mean age of 54 (SD 15), 479 (58%) of 821 were women and 342 (42%) were men, and 591 (92%) of 641 were White. Follow-up rates were 687 (83%) at 6 weeks, 598 (73%) at 3 months, 589 (72%) at 6 months, and 652 (79%) at 12 months. For the primary analysis, 736 participants were analysed (249 usual care, 245 SupportBack, and 242 SupportBack with telephone support). At a significance level of 0·025, there was no difference in RMDQ over 12 months with SupportBack versus usual care (adjusted mean difference -0·5 [97·5% CI -1·2 to 0·2]; p=0·085) or SupportBack with telephone-support versus usual care (-0·6 [-1·2 to 0·1]; p=0·048). There were no treatment-related serious adverse events. The economic evaluation showed that the SupportBack group dominated usual care, being both more effective and less costly. Both interventions were likely to be cost-effective at a threshold of £20 000 per quality adjusted life year compared with usual care. INTERPRETATION: The SupportBack internet interventions did not significantly reduce low back pain-related disability over 12 months compared with usual care. They were likely to be cost-effective and safe. Clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and safety should be considered together when determining whether to apply these interventions in clinical practice. FUNDING: National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Technology Assessment (16/111/78).

A cost-effectiveness analysis of the use of oral ibrexafungerp versus fluconazole for acute vulvovaginal candidiasis in the UK NHS primary care service.

BACKGROUND: Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) is a fungal infection causing inflammation of the vagina and/or the vulva. Symptoms include itching, irritation, and discharge. VVC presents commonly across primary care and, despite its mild symptoms, carries psychological burden and has a significant impact on women's quality of life. UK guidelines support treatment via oral or topical azole antifungal agents. Recent evidence attests to the superiority of novel non-azole antifungals. Thus, rigorous financial assessment of both antifungals is necessary for optimal VVC treatment allocation in UK primary care. AIM: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ibrexafungerp against the gold standard fluconazole as first-line treatment of VVC within the NHS. METHOD: A systematic review on the efficacy of ibrexafungerp and fluconazole in acute VVC was conducted. Cost-effectiveness analysis was initiated using health outcome data from the DOVE trial, a Phase 2 RCT. Costs in pound sterling were ascertained in monetary units, and effectiveness determined as reduced need for follow-up medication. RESULTS: An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £2185.74 was determined. This suggests oral ibrexafungerp being largely more costly yet slightly more effective than fluconazole, and thus has unfavourable net benefit. Two sensitivity analyses were conducted considering follow-up medication combination and market price, which provided confidence in the calculated cost-effectiveness ratio. CONCLUSION: This analysis highlights fluconazole's cost-effectiveness in current UK guidelines and favourability.

Economics of primary healthcare: cost estimation of clinical services at primary care facilities in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

OBJECTIVE: While the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have demonstrated a strong commitment to strengthening primary healthcare (PHC), the costs of delivering these services in this region remain relatively unexplored. Understanding the costs of PHC delivery is essential for effective resource allocation and health system efficiency. DESIGN: We used an ingredient-based method to estimate the cost of delivering a selection of services at PHC facilities in the six GCC countries in 2019. Services were categorised into eight programmes: immunisation; non-communicable diseases (NCDs); oral and dental care; child health; nutrition; mental health; reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health and general practice. The cost estimation focused on two key ingredients: the costs of drugs and supplies and the healthcare workforce cost. The coverage rates of specific types of health services, including screening and mental health services, were also estimated. Data for the analysis were obtained from ministries of health, health statistics reports, online databases, national surveys and scientific literature. RESULTS: The estimated costs of delivering the selected services at public PHC facilities in the six GCC countries totalled US$5.7 billion in 2019, representing 0.34% of the combined 2019 GDP. The per capita costs varied from US$69 to US$272. General practice and NCD programmes constituted 79% of the total costs modelled while mental health ranged between 0.0% and 0.3%. Over 8 million individuals did not receive NCD screening services, and over 30 million did not receive needed mental health services in public PHC facilities across the region. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study to estimate the costs of services delivered at PHC facilities in the GCC countries. Identifying the main cost drivers and the services which individuals did not receive can be used to help strengthen PHC to improve efficiency and scale up needed services for better health outcomes.

Financial incentives to motivate treatment for hepatitis C with direct acting antivirals among Australian adults (The Methodical evaluation and Optimisation of Targeted IncentiVes for Accessing Treatment of Early-stage hepatitis C: MOTIVATE-C): protocol for a dose-response randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Untreated hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can result in cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies are highly effective and have few side effects compared to older interferon-based therapy. Despite the Australian government providing subsidised and unrestricted access to DAA therapy for chronic HCV infection, uptake has not been sufficient to meet the global target of eliminating HCV as a public health threat by 2030. This study will offer people with HCV financial incentives of varying values in order to evaluate its effect on initiation of DAA therapy in primary care. METHODS: Australian adults (18 years or older) who self-report as having current untreated HCV infection can register to participate via an automated SMS-based system. Following self-screening for eligibility, registrants are offered a financial incentive of randomised value (AUD 0 to 1000) to initiate DAA therapy. Study treatment navigators contact registrants who have consented to be contacted, to complete eligibility assessment, outline the study procedures (including the requirement for participants to consult a primary care provider), obtain consent, and finalise enrolment. Enrolled participants receive their offered incentive on provision of evidence of DAA therapy initiation within 12 weeks of registration (primary endpoint). Balanced randomisation is used across the incentive range until the first analysis, after which response-adaptive randomisation will be used to update the assignment probabilities. For the primary analysis, a Bayesian 4-parameter EMAX model will be used to estimate the dose-response curve and contrast treatment initiation at each incentive value against the control arm (AUD 0). Specified secondary statistical and economic analyses will evaluate the effect of incentives on adherence to DAA therapy, virological response, and cost-effectiveness. DISCUSSION: This project seeks to gain an understanding of the dose-response relationship between incentive value and DAA treatment initiation, while maximising the number of people treated for HCV within fixed budget and time constraints. In doing so, we hope to offer policy-relevant recommendation(s) for the use of financial incentives as a pragmatic, efficient, and cost-effective approach to achieving elimination of HCV from Australia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ANZCTR (anzctr.org.au), Identifier ACTRN12623000024640, Registered 11 January 2023 ( https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384923&isReview=true ).

Economic Evaluation of a Web Application Implemented in Primary Care for the Treatment of Depression in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Depressive disorder and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are prevalent in primary care (PC). Pharmacological treatment, despite controversy, is commonly chosen due to resource limitations and difficulties in accessing face-to-face interventions. Depression significantly impacts various aspects of a person's life, affecting adherence to medical prescriptions and glycemic control and leading to future complications and increased health care costs. To address these challenges, information and communication technologies (eg, eHealth) have been introduced, showing promise in improving treatment continuity and accessibility. However, while eHealth programs have demonstrated effectiveness in alleviating depressive symptoms, evidence regarding glycemic control remains inconclusive. This randomized controlled trial aimed to test the efficacy of a low-intensity psychological intervention via a web app for mild-moderate depressive symptoms in individuals with T2DM compared with treatment as usual (TAU) in PC. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of a web-based psychological intervention to treat depressive symptomatology in people with T2DM compared with TAU in a PC setting. METHODS: A multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted with 49 patients with T2DM, depressive symptoms of moderate severity, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of 7.47% in PC settings. Patients were randomized to TAU (n=27) or a web-based psychological treatment group (n=22). This web-based treatment consisted of cognitive behavioral therapy, improvement of diabetes self-care behaviors, and mindfulness. Cost-effectiveness analysis for the improvement of depressive symptomatology was conducted based on reductions in 3, 5, or 50 points on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The efficacy of diabetes control was estimated based on a 0.5% reduction in HbA1c levels. Follow-up was performed at 3 and 6 months. The cost-utility analysis was performed based on quality-adjusted life years. RESULTS: Efficacy analysis showed that the web-based treatment program was more effective in improving depressive symptoms than TAU but showed only a slight improvement in HbA1c. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of 186.76 for a 3-point reduction in PHQ-9 and 206.31 for reductions of 5 and 50 percentage points were obtained. In contrast, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for improving HbA1c levels amounted to €1510.90 (€1=US $1.18 in 2018) per participant. The incremental cost-utility ratio resulted in €4119.33 per quality-adjusted life year gained. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention, using web-based modules incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy tools, diabetes self-care promotion, and mindfulness, effectively reduced depressive symptoms and enhanced glycemic control in patients with T2DM. Notably, it demonstrated clinical efficacy and economic efficiency. This supports the idea that eHealth interventions not only benefit patients clinically but also offer cost-effectiveness for health care systems. The study emphasizes the importance of including specific modules to enhance diabetes self-care behaviors in future web-based psychological interventions, emphasizing personalization and adaptation for this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03426709; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03426709. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1186/S12888-019-2037-3.

Measuring Primary Care Spending in the US by State.

This case series identifies states' estimates of primary care spending and recommends steps policymakers can take toward standardizing these estimates.

The TransFORmation of IndiGEnous PrimAry HEAlthcare Delivery (FORGE AHEAD): economic analysis.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous populations have increased risk of developing diabetes and experience poorer treatment outcomes than the general population. The FORGE AHEAD program partnered with First Nations communities across Canada to improve access to resources by developing community-driven primary healthcare models. METHODS: This was an economic assessment of FORGE AHEAD using a payer perspective. Costs of diabetes management and complications during the 18-month intervention were compared to the costs prior to intervention implementation. Cost-effectiveness of the program assessed incremental differences in cost and number of resources utilization events (pre and post). Primary outcome was all-cause hospitalizations. Secondary outcomes were specialist visits, clinic visits and community resource use. Data were obtained from a diabetes registry and published literature. Costs are expressed in 2023 Can$. RESULTS: Study population was ~ 60.5 years old; 57.2% female; median duration of diabetes of 8 years; 87.5% residing in non-isolated communities; 75% residing in communities < 5000 members. Total cost of implementation was $1,221,413.60 and cost/person $27.89. There was increase in the number and cost of hospitalizations visits from 8/$68,765.85 (pre period) to 243/$2,735,612.37. Specialist visits, clinic visits and community resource use followed this trend. CONCLUSION: Considering the low cost of intervention and increased care access, FORGE AHEAD represents a successful community-driven partnership resulting in improved access to resources.

Can primary health care mitigate the effects of economic crises on child health in Latin America? An integrated multicountry evaluation and forecasting analysis.

BACKGROUND: Latin American and Caribbean countries are dealing with the combined challenges of pandemic-induced socicoeconomic stress and increasing public debt, potentially leading to reductions in welfare and health-care services, including primary care. We aimed to evaluate the impact of primary health-care coverage on child mortality in Latin America over the past two decades and to forecast the potential effects of primary health-care mitigation during the current economic crisis. METHODS: This multicountry study integrated retrospective impact evaluations in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico from 2000 to 2019 with forecasting models covering up to 2030. We estimated the impact of coverage of primary health care on mortality rates in children younger than 5 years (hereafter referred to as under-5 mortality) across different age groups and causes of death, adjusting for all relevant demographic, socioeconomic, and health-care factors, with fixed-effects multivariable negative binomial models in 5647 municipalities with an adequate quality of vital statistics. We also performed several sensitivity and triangulation analyses. We integrated previous longitudinal datasets with validated dynamic microsimulation models and projected trends in under-5 mortality rates under alternative policy response scenarios until 2030. FINDINGS: High primary health-care coverage was associated with substantial reductions in post-neonatal mortality rates (rate ratio [RR] 0·72, 95% CI 0·71-0·74), toddler (ie, aged between 1 year and <5 years) mortality rates (0·75, 0·73-0·76), and under-5 mortality rates (0·81, 0·80-0·82), preventing 305 890 (95% CI 251 826-360 517) deaths of children younger than 5 years over the period 2000-19. High primary health-care coverage was also associated with lower under-5 mortality rates from nutritional deficiencies (RR 0·55, 95% CI 0·52-0·58), anaemia (0·64, 0·57-0·72), vaccine-preventable and vaccine-sensitive conditions (0·70, 0·68-0·72), and infectious gastroenteritis (0·78, 0·73-0·84). Considering a scenario of moderate economic crisis, a mitigation response strategy implemented in the period 2020-30 that increases primary health-care coverage could reduce the under-5 mortality rate by up to 23% (RR 0·77, 95% CI 0·72-0·84) when compared with a fiscal austerity response, and this strategy would avoid 142 285 (95% CI 120 217-164 378) child deaths by 2030 in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico. INTERPRETATION: The improvement in primary health-care coverage in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico over the past two decades has substantially contributed to improving child survival. Expansion of primary health-care coverage should be considered an effective strategy to mitigate the health effects of the current economic crisis and to achieve Sustainable Development Goals related to child health. FUNDING: UK Medical Research Council. TRANSLATIONS: For the Spanish and Portuguese translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Preference of primary care patients for home-based healthcare and support services: a discrete choice experiment in China.

Importance: This research, utilizing discrete choice experiments, examines the preferences and willingness to pay for home-based healthcare and support services among residents in China, a country grappling with severe aging population, an area often underexplored in international scholarship. Objectives: This study aims to solicit the preferences of primary care patients for home-based healthcare and support services in China. Design setting and participants: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted on 312 primary care patients recruited from 13 community health centers in Wuhan and Kunming between January and May 2023. The experimental choice sets were generated using NGene, covering five attributes: Scope of services, health professionals, institutions, insurance reimbursements, and visiting fees. Main outcomes and measures: The choice sets were further divided into three blocks, and each participant was asked to complete one block containing 12 choice tasks. Mixed logit models were established to estimate the relevant importance coefficients of and willingness to pay for different choices, while Latent Class Logit (LCL) modeling was conducted to capture possible preferences heterogeneity. Results: The relevant importance of the scope of services reached 67.33%, compared with 19.84% for service institutions and 12.42% for health professionals. Overall, respondents preferred physician-led diagnostic and treatment services. LCL categorized the respondents into three groups: Group one (60.20%) was most concerned about the scope of services, prioritizing disease diagnosis and treatment over preventive care and mental health, while group two (16.60%) was most concerned about care providers (hospitals and medical doctors were preferred), and group three (23.20%) was most concerned about financial burdens. Conclusion: Primary care patients prefer physical health and medical interventions for home-based healthcare and support services. However, heterogeneity in preferences is evident, indicating potential disparities in healthcare and support at home services in China.

Does pay-for-performance design matter? Evidence from Brazil.

Pay-for-performance (P4P) schemes have been shown to have mixed effects on health care outcomes. A challenge in interpreting this evidence is that P4P is often considered a homogenous intervention, when in practice schemes vary widely in their design. Our study contributes to this literature by providing a detailed depiction of incentive design across municipalities within a national P4P scheme in Brazil [Primary Care Access and Quality (PMAQ)] and exploring the association of alternative design typologies with the performance of primary health care providers. We carried out a nation-wide survey of municipal health managers to characterize the scheme design, based on the size of the bonus, the providers incentivized and the frequency of payment. Using OLS regressions and controlling for municipality characteristics, we examined whether each design feature was associated with better family health team (FHT) performance. To capture potential interactions between design features, we used cluster analysis to group municipalities into five design typologies and then examined associations with quality of care. A majority of the municipalities included in our study used some of the PMAQ funds to provide bonuses to FHT workers, while the remaining municipalities spent the funds in the traditional way using input-based budgets. Frequent bonus payments (monthly) and higher size bonus allocations (share of 20-80%) were strongly associated with better team performance, while who within a team was eligible to receive bonuses did not in isolation appear to influence performance. The cluster analysis showed what combinations of design features were associated with better performance. The PMAQ score in the 'large bonus/many workers/high-frequency' cluster was 8.44 points higher than the 'no bonus' cluster, equivalent to a difference of 21.7% in the mean PMAQ score. Evidence from our study shows how design features can potentially influence health provider performance, informing the design of more effective P4P schemes.

Financial constraints and incentives for the prevention and control of obesity in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. / Constrangimentos e incentivos financeiros para a prevenção e o controle da obesidade no estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

The present study aimed to analyze how these changes, both at the national and state levels, could affect the conditions of the implementation of obesity prevention and control (OCP) actions in primary health care (PHC) in the Rio de Janeiro State from 2014 to 2021. This study was based on policy analysis methods that emphasize the understanding of the implementation contexts, as well as the induction mechanisms and government incentives for the development of actions and integration of two projects that analyzed the OPC actions in PHC in the 92 municipalities of RJS between 2014 and 2018 (PPSUS-RJS) and between 2019 and 2021 (PEO-RJS). The results indicate that, by 2016, it was possible to observe the positive impacts of the structuring of PHC and the federal induction mechanisms in RJS. However, inflections in the expansion and funding of PHC contributed to the weakening of units, teams, and strategies, and led to retraction of resources for both state and municipal actions. Between 2016-2018, RJS's political and financial scenario deteriorated due to national crises, and the positive counterpoints since then were the induction mechanisms and federal resources that remained, in addition to the technical areas of the RJS-HD and state co-financing resources.

O estudo analisou como as inflexões político-econômicas de financiamento e de estruturação do Sistema Único de Saúde podem ter afetado as condições de implementação de ações de prevenção e controle da obesidade (PCO) na atenção primária à saúde (APS) no estado do Rio de Janeiro (ERJ) entre 2014 e 2021. Fundamentou-se em referenciais de análise de políticas, considerando contexto de implementação, antecedentes históricos, mecanismos de indução e incentivos governamentais para o desenvolvimento das ações de PCO. Baseou-se em dois projetos realizados nos 92 municípios do ERJ entre 2014 e 2018 (PPSUS-ERJ) e 2019-2021 (PEO-ERJ), pautados em análise documental, entrevistas e grupos focais com profissionais e gestores da APS. Até 2016, percebe-se os impactos positivos da estruturação da APS e dos mecanismos de indução federais. No entanto, as inflexões na expansão e no financiamento da APS contribuíram para o enfraquecimento de unidades, equipes e estratégias, além de uma retração de recursos para as ações estaduais e municipais. Entre 2016-2018, a crise política e financeira do ERJ foi potencializada pelas crises nacionais, e os contrapontos positivos desde então foram os mecanismos de indução e recursos federais que permaneceram, além das áreas técnicas da SES-ERJ e do cofinanciamento estadual.

Current and Projected Mortality and Hospitalization Rates Associated With Conditional Cash Transfer, Social Pension, and Primary Health Care Programs in Brazil, 2000-2030.

Importance: The health outcomes of increased poverty and inequalities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been substantially amplified as a consequence of converging multiple crises. Brazil has some of the world's largest conditional cash transfer (Programa Bolsa Família [PBF]), social pension (Beneficio de Prestacão Continuada [BPC]), and primary health care (Estratégia de Saúde da Família [ESF]) programs that could act as mitigating interventions during the current polycrisis era of increasing poverty, slow or contracting economic growth, and conflicts. Objective: To evaluate the combined association of the Brazilian conditional cash transfer, social pension, and primary health care programs with the reduction of morbidity and mortality over the last 2 decades and forecast their potential mitigation of the current global polycrisis and beyond. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used a longitudinal ecological design with multivariable negative binomial regression models (adjusted for relevant socioeconomic, demographic, and health care variables) integrating the retrospective analysis from 2000 to 2019, with dynamic microsimulation models to forecast potential child mortality scenarios up to 2030. Participants included a cohort of 2548 Brazilian municipalities from 2004 to 2019, projected from 2020 to 2030. Data analysis was performed from September 2022 to February 2023. Exposure: PBF coverage of the target population (those who were poorest) was categorized into 4 levels: low (0%-29.9%), intermediate (30.0%-69.9%), high (70.0%-99.9%), and consolidated (≥100%). ESF coverage was categorized as null (0), low (0.1%-29.9%), intermediate (30.0%-69.9%), and consolidated (70.0%-100%). BPC coverage was categorized by terciles. Main outcomes and measures: Age-standardized, all-cause mortality and hospitalization rates calculated for the entire population and by age group (<5 years, 5-29 years, 30-69 years, and ≥70 years). Results: Among the 2548 Brazilian municipalities studied from 2004 to 2019, the mean (SD) age-standardized mortality rate decreased by 16.64% (from 6.73 [1.14] to 5.61 [0.94] deaths per 1000 population). Consolidated coverages of social welfare programs studied were all associated with reductions in overall mortality rates (PBF: rate ratio [RR], 0.95 [95% CI, 0.94-0.96]; ESF: RR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.93-0.94]; BPC: RR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.91-0.92]), having all together prevented an estimated 1 462 626 (95% CI, 1 332 128-1 596 924) deaths over the period 2004 to 2019. The results were higher on mortality for the group younger than age 5 years (PBF: RR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.85-0.90]; ESF: RR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.87-0.93]; BPC: RR, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.82-0.86]), on mortality for the group aged 70 years and older, and on hospitalizations. Considering a shorter scenario of economic crisis, a mitigation strategy that will increase the coverage of PBF, BPC, and ESF to proportionally cover the newly poor and at-risk individuals was projected to avert 1 305 359 (95% CI, 1 163 659-1 449 256) deaths and 6 593 224 (95% CI, 5 534 591-7 651 327) hospitalizations up to 2030, compared with fiscal austerity scenarios that would reduce the coverage of these interventions. Conclusions and relevance: This cohort study's results suggest that combined expansion of conditional cash transfers, social pensions, and primary health care should be considered a viable strategy to mitigate the adverse health outcomes of the current global polycrisis in LMICs, whereas the implementation of fiscal austerity measures could result in large numbers of preventable deaths.

Evolution of public funding since primary care research was considered as a priority research domain in france.

PURPOSE: Annually, the French Ministry of Health funds clinical research projects based on a national call for projects. Since 2013, the Ministry has prioritized funding of primary care. Projects selected for funding are made public without distinguishing the specific area of research. The objective of this study was to identify and describe the evolution of the primary care research projects funded by the Ministry of Health between 2013 and 2019. METHOD: We reviewed all of the 1796 medical research projects funded between 2013 and 2019 and categorized projects as primary care projects by using a list of specific keywords. This list was established through two approaches: (1) selected by an expert committee, the RECaP primary care working group, and (2) using an automated textual analysis of published articles in the field. The keywords were used to screen the titles of the medical research projects funded. The abstracts (at www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov ) or details (from project leaders) were then analyzed by two independent reviewers to determine true primary care projects. RESULTS: Finally, 49 primary care projects were identified, representing 2.7% of all medical research projects funded, without any significant change over the period. These projects were predominantly interventional (69%), with a median number of patients expected per project of 902. CONCLUSION: Despite the prioritization of primary care research in 2013 by the French ministry of health, the number and proportion of projects funded remains low, with no significant change over the years. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Effect of Reliable Recovery on Health Care Costs and Productivity Losses in Emotional Disorders.

Despite the high economic costs associated with emotional disorders, relatively few studies have examined the variation in costs according to whether the patient has achieved a reliable recovery. The aim of this study was to explore differences in health care costs and productivity losses between primary care patients from a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT)-PsicAP-with emotional symptoms who achieved a reliable recovery and those who did not after transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy (TD-CBT) plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone. Sociodemographic and cost data were obtained for 134 participants treated at five primary care centers in Madrid for the 12-month posttreatment period. Reliable recovery rates were higher in the patients who received TD-CBT + TAU versus TAU alone (66% vs. 34%, respectively; chi-square = 13.78, df = 1, p < .001). Patients who did not achieve reliable recovery incurred more costs, especially associated with general practitioner consultations (t = 3.01, df = 132, p = .003), use of emergency departments (t = 2.20, df = 132, p = .030), total health care costs (t = 2.01, df = 132, p = .040), and sick leaves (t = 1.97, df = 132, p = .048). These findings underscore the societal importance of achieving a reliable recovery in patients with emotional disorders, and further support the value of adding TD-CBT to TAU in the primary care setting.

[Effects of parliamentary amendments on municipal financing of primary health care in the Brazilian Unified National Health System]. / Efeitos das emendas parlamentares no financiamento municipal da atenção primária à saúde do Sistema Único de Saúde.

This study aims to analyze the effects of the expansion of the federal transfer of parliamentary amendments for municipal financing of primary health care (PHC) in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS), from 2015 to 2020. A longitudinal study was conducted using secondary data on transfers of parliamentary amendments from the Brazilian Ministry of Health and expenditure of municipalities' own resources on public health actions and services and PHC. The effect of the transfer of parliamentary amendments on municipal financing was verified in a stratified way by population size of the municipalities, using generalized estimating equation models. The transfer of parliamentary amendments for PHC showed a large discrepancy in per capita values among municipalities of different population sizes. No correlation with municipal spending on public health actions and services was observed in municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants, and the association with spending on PHC (p < 0.050) was inverse in all municipalities. Therefore, the increase in the transfer of parliamentary amendments by the Brazilian Ministry of Health favored a reduction in the allocation of municipal revenues to PHC, which may have been directed to other spending purposes in the SUS. These changes seem to represent priorities established for municipal budget expenditure, which have repercussions on local conditions for guaranteeing stable funding for PHC in Brazil.

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar os efeitos da ampliação do repasse federal de emendas parlamentares no financiamento municipal da atenção primária à saúde (APS) do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), no período de 2015 a 2020. Foi realizado estudo longitudinal com dados secundários de transferências por emendas parlamentares do Ministério da Saúde e de despesas com recursos próprios dos municípios, aplicadas em ações e serviços públicos de saúde e na APS. O efeito do repasse de emendas parlamentares no financiamento municipal foi verificado de forma estratificada por porte populacional dos municípios, por meio de modelos de equações de estimativas generalizadas. O repasse de emendas parlamentares para a APS apresentou grande discrepância de valores per capita entre os municípios de diferentes portes populacionais. Observou-se inexistência de correlação com a despesa municipal em ações e serviços públicos de saúde nos municípios com mais de 10 mil habitantes e associação inversa com a despesa em APS (p < 0,050) em todos os grupos. Conclui-se que o aumento do repasse de emendas parlamentares pelo Ministério da Saúde favoreceu a redução da alocação de receitas municipais com APS, que podem ter sido direcionados para outras finalidades de gasto no SUS. Tais mudanças parecem refletir prioridades estabelecidas para a despesa orçamentária dos municípios, que repercutem sobre as condições locais para a garantia da estabilidade do financiamento da APS no Brasil.

El artículo tiene como objetivo analizar los efectos de la ampliación de la transferencia de recursos federal de enmiendas parlamentarias sobre el financiamiento municipal de la atención primaria de salud (APS) en el Sistema Único de Salud brasileño (SUS), en el período del 2015 al 2020. Se realizó un estudio longitudinal con datos secundarios de transferencias de recursos por enmiendas parlamentarias del Ministerio de Salud y de gastos con recursos propios de los municipios, aplicados a acciones y servicios públicos de salud y a la APS. El efecto de la transferencia de recursos de enmiendas parlamentarias sobre el financiamiento municipal se verificó de forma estratificada por tamaño de población de los municipios, utilizando modelos de ecuaciones de estimaciones generalizadas. La transferencia de recursos de enmiendas parlamentarias para la APS mostró una gran discrepancia en los valores per cápita entre municipios de diferente tamaño poblacional. No hubo correlación con el gasto municipal en acciones y servicios públicos de salud en aquellos con más de 10.000 habitantes y asociación inversa con el gasto en APS (p < 0,050) en todos los grupos de municipios. Se concluye que el aumento en la transferencia de recursos de enmiendas parlamentarias por parte del Ministerio de Salud favoreció la reducción de la asignación de ingresos municipales a la APS, que pueden haber sido dirigidos a otros fines de gasto en el SUS. Tales cambios parecen reflejar prioridades establecidas para el gasto presupuestario municipal, que repercuten en las condiciones locales para garantizar la estabilidad del financiamiento de la APS en Brasil.

Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility study of a psychoeducational group intervention for people with depression and physical comorbidity in primary care.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of a psychoeducational group intervention led by primary care (PC) nurses in relation to customary care to prevent the depression and improve quality of life in patients with physical comorbidity. DESIGN: Economic evaluation based on data from randomized, multicenter clinical trial with blind response variables and a one-year follow-up, carried in the context of the PSICODEP study. LOCATION: 7 PC teams from Catalonia. PARTICIPANTS: >50 year-old patients with depression and some physical comorbidity: diabetes mellitus type 2, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and/or asthma. INTERVENTION: 12 psychoeducational group sessions, 1 per week, led by 2 PC nurses with prior training. MEASUREMENTS: Effectiveness: depression-free days (DFD) calculated from the BDI-II and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) from the Euroqol-5D. Direct costs: PC visits, mental health, emergencies and hospitalizations, drugs. Indirect costs: days of temporary disability (TD). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER), cost-effectiveness (ΔCost/ΔDLD) and cost-utility (ΔCost/ΔQALY) were estimated. RESULTS: The study includes 380 patients (intervention group [IG] = 204; control group [CG] = 176). 81.6% women; mean age 68.4 (SD = 8.8). The IG had a higher mean cost of visits, less of hospitalizations and less TD than the CG. The difference in costs between the IG and the CG was -357.95€ (95% CI: -2026.96 to 1311.06) at one year of follow-up. There was a mean of 11.95 (95% CI: -15.98 to 39.88) more DFD in the IG than in the CG. QALYs were similar (difference -0.01, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.05). The ICERs were 29.95€/DLD and 35,795€/QALY. CONCLUSIONS: Psychoeducational intervention is associated with an improvement in DFD, as well as a reduction in costs at 12 months, although not significantly. QALYs were very similar between groups.

Financial Interventions to Improve Screening in Primary Care: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Although health screenings offer timely detection of health conditions and enable early intervention, adoption is often poor. How might financial interventions create the necessary incentives and resources to improve screening in primary care settings? This systematic review aimed to answer this question. METHODS: Peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2023 were identified and categorized by the level of intervention (practice or individual) and type of intervention, specifically alternative payment models (APMs), fee-for-service (FFS), capitation, and capital investments. Outcomes included frequency of screening, performance/quality of care (e.g., patient satisfaction, health outcomes), and workflow changes (e.g., visit length, staffing). RESULTS: Of 51 included studies, a majority focused on practice-level interventions (n=32), used APMs (n=41) that involved payments for achieving key performance indicators (KPIs; n=31) and were of low or very low strength of evidence based on GRADE criteria (n=42). Studies often included screenings for cancer (n=32), diabetes care (n=18), and behavioral health (n=15). KPI payments to both practices and individual providers corresponded with increased screening rates, whereas capitation and provider-level FFS models yielded mixed results. A large majority of studies assessed changes in screening rates (n=48) with less focus on quality of care (n=11) or workflow changes (n=4). DISCUSSION: Financial mechanisms can enhance screening rates with evidence strongest for KPI payments to both practices and individual providers. Future research should explore the relationship between financial interventions and quality of care, in terms of both clinical processes and patient outcomes, as well as the role of these interventions in shaping care delivery.