Increased risk of hospitalization and death in Mexican children and adolescents with COVID-19 and comorbidities.

BACKGROUND: Although COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) in children is usually mild, they need hospitalization and intensive care in exceptional cases. Adverse outcomes have been observed mainly among children with comorbidities, justifying their vaccination. This study aimed to assess the risk of hospitalization and death in Mexican children and adolescents with COVID-19 and comorbidities. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on 366,542 confirmed COVID-19 cases under 18 years, reported by the Mexican Ministry of Health up to July 9, 2022. Logistic regression models were performed. RESULTS: The mean age was 10.98 years, 50.6% were male, and 7.3% reported at least one comorbidity. The percentage of hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients with and without comorbidities was 3.52%, and 0.20%, respectively; children with comorbidities presented a higher percentage of hospitalization (14.0%) and death (1.9%). The probability of hospitalization was 5.6 times greater in pediatric patients with COVID-19 and comorbidities, and the comorbidities that showed the greatest risk were immunosuppression (odds ratio (OR) 22.06), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (11.36), and cardiovascular diseases (5.66). The probability of death in patients with comorbidities was 11.01 times higher than in those without diseases, and the highest risk was observed in those with CKD (OR 12.57), cardiovascular diseases (6.87), and diabetes (5.83). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients with comorbidities presented a higher risk of severe COVID-19. It is suggested that vaccination should be promoted with greater emphasis on pediatric patients with comorbidities.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Aunque COVID-19 (enfermedad por coronavirus 2019) en niños es usualmente leve, en casos excepcionales requieren hospitalización y cuidados intensivos. Los resultados adversos han sido observados principalmente en los niños con comorbilidades, justificando su vacunación. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el riesgo de hospitalización y muerte en niños y adolescentes mexicanos con COVID-19 y comorbilidades. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal en 366,542 casos de COVID-19 confirmados, menores de 18 años y reportados por la Secretaría de Salud de México, hasta el 9 de julio del 2022. Se ejecutaron modelos multivariados de regresión logística. RESULTADOS: El promedio de edad fue de 10.98 años, 50.6% de sexo masculino, y 7.3% reportaron al menos una comorbilidad. El porcentaje de hospitalización y muerte en pacientes con COVID-19 sin comorbilidades fue 3.52% y 0.20%, respectivamente; mientras que los pacientes con comorbilidades presentaron más elevados porcentajes de hospitalización (14.0%) y muerte (1.9%). La probabilidad de hospitalización fue 5.6 veces más en los pacientes con COVID-19 y comorbilidades, comparando con aquellos sin comorbilidades. Las comorbilidades que mostraron más riesgo fueron inmunosupresión (razón de momios (RM) 22.06), enfermedad renal crónica (ERC) (RM 11.36) y enfermedades cardiovasculares (RM 5.66). La probabilidad de muerte en los pacientes con comorbilidades fue 11.01 veces más que en aquellos sin enfermedades, y fue más elevado en aquellos con ERC (RM 12.57), enfermedades cardiovasculares (RM 6.87) y diabetes (RM 5.83). CONCLUSIONES: Los pacientes pediátricos con comorbilidades presentaron mayor riesgo de COVID-19 severo, por lo que se sugiere promover con mayor énfasis la vacunación en ellos.

Increased risk of hospitalization and death in Mexican children and adolescents with COVID-19 and comorbidities / Riesgo incrementado de hospitalización y muerte en niños y adolescentes mexicanos con COVID-19 y comorbilidad

Abstract Background: Although COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) in children is usually mild, they need hospitalization and intensive care in exceptional cases. Adverse outcomes have been observed mainly among children with comorbidities, justifying their vaccination. This study aimed to assess the risk of hospitalization and death in Mexican children and adolescents with COVID-19 and comorbidities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 366,542 confirmed COVID-19 cases under 18 years, reported by the Mexican Ministry of Health up to July 9, 2022. Logistic regression models were performed. Results: The mean age was 10.98 years, 50.6% were male, and 7.3% reported at least one comorbidity. The percentage of hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients with and without comorbidities was 3.52%, and 0.20%, respectively; children with comorbidities presented a higher percentage of hospitalization (14.0%) and death (1.9%). The probability of hospitalization was 5.6 times greater in pediatric patients with COVID-19 and comorbidities, and the comorbidities that showed the greatest risk were immunosuppression (odds ratio (OR) 22.06), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (11.36), and cardiovascular diseases (5.66). The probability of death in patients with comorbidities was 11.01 times higher than in those without diseases, and the highest risk was observed in those with CKD (OR 12.57), cardiovascular diseases (6.87), and diabetes (5.83). Conclusions: Pediatric patients with comorbidities presented a higher risk of severe COVID-19. It is suggested that vaccination should be promoted with greater emphasis on pediatric patients with comorbidities.

Resumen Introducción: Aunque COVID-19 (enfermedad por coronavirus 2019) en niños es usualmente leve, en casos excepcionales requieren hospitalización y cuidados intensivos. Los resultados adversos han sido observados principalmente en los niños con comorbilidades, justificando su vacunación. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el riesgo de hospitalización y muerte en niños y adolescentes mexicanos con COVID-19 y comorbilidades. Métodos: Estudio transversal en 366,542 casos de COVID-19 confirmados, menores de 18 años y reportados por la Secretaría de Salud de México, hasta el 9 de julio del 2022. Se ejecutaron modelos multivariados de regresión logística. Resultados: El promedio de edad fue de 10.98 años, 50.6% de sexo masculino, y 7.3% reportaron al menos una comorbilidad. El porcentaje de hospitalización y muerte en pacientes con COVID-19 sin comorbilidades fue 3.52% y 0.20%, respectivamente; mientras que los pacientes con comorbilidades presentaron más elevados porcentajes de hospitalización (14.0%) y muerte (1.9%). La probabilidad de hospitalización fue 5.6 veces más en los pacientes con COVID-19 y comorbilidades, comparando con aquellos sin comorbilidades. Las comorbilidades que mostraron más riesgo fueron inmunosupresión (razón de momios (RM) 22.06), enfermedad renal crónica (ERC) (RM 11.36) y enfermedades cardiovasculares (RM 5.66). La probabilidad de muerte en los pacientes con comorbilidades fue 11.01 veces más que en aquellos sin enfermedades, y fue más elevado en aquellos con ERC (RM 12.57), enfermedades cardiovasculares (RM 6.87) y diabetes (RM 5.83). Conclusiones: Los pacientes pediátricos con comorbilidades presentaron mayor riesgo de COVID-19 severo, por lo que se sugiere promover con mayor énfasis la vacunación en ellos.

Mexico: Health System Review.

This analysis of the Mexican health system reviews recent developments in organization and governance, health financing, health care provision, health reforms and health system performance. The Mexican health system consists of three main components operating in parallel: 1) employment-based social insurance schemes, 2) public assistance services for the uninsured supported by a financial protection scheme, and 3) a private sector composed of service providers, insurers, and pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers and distributors. The social insurance schemes are managed by highly centralized national institutions while coverage for the uninsured is operated by both state and federal authorities and providers. The largest social insurance institution - the Mexican Social Insurance Institute (IMSS) - is governed by a corporatist arrangement, which reflects the political realities of the 1940s rather than the needs of the 21st century. National health spending has grown in recent years but is lower than the Latin America and Caribbean average and considerably lower than the OECD average in 2015. Public spending accounts for 58% of total financing, with private contributions being mostly comprised of out-of-pocket spending. The private sector, while regulated by the government, mostly operates independently. Mexico's health system delivers a wide range of health care services; however, nearly 14% of the population lacks financial protection, while the insured are mostly enrolled in diverse public schemes which provide varying benefits packages. Private sector services are in high demand given insufficient resources among most public institutions and the lack of voice by the insured to ensure the fulfilment of entitlements. Furthermore, the system faces challenges with obesity, diabetes, violence, as well as with health inequity. Recognizing the inequities in access created by its segmented structure, both civil society and government are calling for greater integration of service delivery across public institutions, although no consensus yet exists as to how to bring this about.

'Knowledge for better health' revisited - the increasing significance of health research systems: a review by departing Editors-in-Chief.

How can nations organise research investments to obtain the best bundle of knowledge and the maximum level of improved health, spread as equitably as possible? This question was the central focus of a major initiative from WHO led by Prof Tikki Pang, which resulted in a range of developments, including the publication of a conceptual framework for national health research systems - Knowledge for better health - in 2003, and in the founding of the journal Health Research Policy and Systems (HARPS). As Editors-in-Chief of the journal since 2006, we mark our retirement by tracking both the progress of the journal and the development of national health research systems. HARPS has maintained its focus on a range of central themes that are key components of a national health research system in any country. These include building capacity to conduct and use health research, identifying appropriate priorities, securing funds and allocating them accountably, producing scientifically valid research outputs, promoting the use of research in polices and practice in order to improve health, and monitoring and evaluating the health research system. Some of the themes covered in HARPS are now receiving increased attention and, for example, with the assessment of research impact and development of knowledge translation platforms, the journal has covered their progress throughout that expansion of interest. In addition, there is increasing recognition of new imperatives, including the importance of promoting gender equality in health research if benefits are to be maximised. In this Editorial, we outline some of the diverse and developing perspectives considered within each theme, as well as considering how they are held together by the growing desire to build effective health research systems in all countries.From 2003 until mid-June 2017, HARPS published 590 articles on the above and related themes, with authors being located in 76 countries. We present quantitative data tracing the journal's growth and the increasing external recognition of its role. We thank the many colleagues who have kindly contributed to the journal's success, and finish on an exciting note by welcoming the new Editors-in-Chief who will take HARPS forward.

Building health research systems: WHO is generating global perspectives, and who's celebrating national successes?

In 2016, England's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) celebrated its tenth anniversary as an innovative national health research system with a focus on meeting patients' needs. This provides a good opportunity to reflect on how the creation of the NIHR has greatly enhanced important work, started in 1991, to develop a health research system in England that is embedded in the National Health Service.In 2004, WHO identified a range of functions that a national health research system should undertake to improve the health of populations. Health Research Policy and Systems (HRPS) has taken particular interest in the pioneering developments in the English health research system, where the comprehensive approach has covered most, if not all, of the functions identified by WHO. Furthermore, several significant recent developments in thinking about health research are relevant for the NIHR and have informed accounts of its achievements. These include recognition of the need to combat waste in health research, which had been identified as a global problem in successive papers in the Lancet, and an increasing emphasis on demonstrating impact. Here, pioneering evaluation of United Kingdom research, conducted through the impact case studies of the Research Excellence Framework, is particularly important. Analyses informed by these and other approaches identified many aspects of NIHR's progress in combating waste, building and sustaining research capacity, creating centres of research excellence linked to leading healthcare institutions, developing research networks, involving patients and others in identifying research needs, and producing and adopting research findings that are improving health outcomes.The NIHR's overall success, and an analysis of the remaining problems, might have lessons for other systems, notwithstanding important advances in many countries, as described in papers in HRPS and elsewhere. WHO's recently established Global Observatory for Health Research and Development provides an opportunity to promote some of these lessons. To inform its work, the Observatory is sponsoring a thematic series of papers in HRPS focusing on health research issues such as funding flows, priority setting, capacity building, utilisation and equity. While important papers on these have been published, this series is still open to new submissions.

[Cost-effectiveness analysis of an alternative for the provision of primary health care for beneficiaries of Seguro Popular in Mexico]. / Costo-efectividad de una alternativa para la prestación de servicios de atención primaria en salud para los beneficiarios del Seguro Popular de México.

OBJECTIVE:: To estimate the cost-effectiveness ratio of public and private health care providers funded by Seguro Popular. MATERIALS AND METHODS:: A pilot contracting primary care health care scheme in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, was evaluated through a population survey to assess quality of care and detection decreased of vision. Costs were assessed from the payer perspective using institutional sources.The alternatives analyzed were a private provider with capitated and performance-based payment modalities, and a public provider funded through budget subsidies. Sensitivity analysis was performed using Monte Carlo simulations. RESULTS:: The private provider is dominant in the quality and cost-effective detection of decreased vision. CONCLUSIONS:: Strategic purchasing of private providers of primary care has shown promising results as an alternative to improving quality of health services and reducing costs.

Costo-efectividad de una alternativa para la prestación de servicios de atención primaria en salud para los beneficiarios del Seguro Popular de México / Cost-effectiveness analysis of an alternative for the provision of primary health care for beneficiaries of Seguro Popular in Mexico

Resumen: Objetivo: Calcular la razón costo-efectividad de servicios públicos y privados contratados por el Seguro Popular en primer nivel de atención. Material y métodos: Se evaluó una experiencia piloto de contratación de servicios de primer nivel de atención a la salud en el estado de Hidalgo, México, midiendo, con base en una encuesta poblacional, la calidad general y la detección de disminución de visión. Se analizó la sensibilidad mediante simulaciones de Monte Carlo. Resultados: El prestador privado es dominante en calidad y costo-efectivo para la detección de disminución de visión. Conclusiones: La compra estratégica de prestadores privados de atención primaria es promisoria para mejorar los servicios de salud y reducir los costos.

Abstract: Objective: To estimate the cost-effectiveness ratio of public and private health care providers funded by Seguro Popular. Materials and methods: A pilot contracting primary care health care scheme in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, was evaluated through a population survey to assess quality of care and detection decreased of vision. Costs were assessed from the payer perspective using institutional sources.The alternatives analyzed were a private provider with capitated and performance-based payment modalities, and a public provider funded through budget subsidies. Sensitivity analysis was performed using Monte Carlo simulations. Results: The private provider is dominant in the quality and cost-effective detection of decreased vision. Conclusions: Strategic purchasing of private providers of primary care has shown promising results as an alternative to improving quality of health services and reducing costs.

Labor and delivery service use: indigenous women's preference and the health sector response in the Chiapas Highlands of Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Mexico has undertaken important efforts to decrease maternal mortality. Health authorities have introduced intercultural innovations to address barriersfaced by indigenous women accessing professional maternal and delivery services. This study examines, from the perspective of indigenous women, the barriers andfacilitators of labor and delivery care services in a context of intercultural and allopathic innovations. METHODS: This is an exploratory study using a qualitative approach of discourse analysis with grounded theory techniques. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were undertaken with users and non-users of the labor and delivery services, as well as with traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in San Andrés Larráinzar, Chiapas in 2012. RESULTS: The interviewees identified barriers in the availability of medical personnel and restrictive hours for health services. Additionally, they referred to barriers to access (economic, geographic, linguistic and cultural) to health services, as well as invasive and offensive hospital practices enacted by health system personnel, which limited the quality of care they can provide. Traditional birth attendants participating in intercultural settings expressed the lack of autonomy and exclusion they experience by hospital personnel, as a result of not being considered part of the care team. As facilitators, users point to the importance of having their traditional birth attendants and families present during childbirth, to allow them to use their clothing during the attention, that the staff of health care is of the female sex and speaking the language of the community. As limiting condition users referred the different medical maneuvers practiced in the attention of the delivery (vaginal examination, episiotomy, administration of oxytocin, etc.). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence from the study suggests the presence of important barriers to the utilization of institutional labor and delivery services in indigenous communities, in spite of the intercultural strategies implemented. It is important to consider strengthening intercultural models of care, to sensitize personnel towards cultural needs, beliefs, practices and preferences of indigenous women, with a focus on human rights, gender equity and quality of care.

Health research improves healthcare: now we have the evidence and the chance to help the WHO spread such benefits globally.

There has been a dramatic increase in the body of evidence demonstrating the benefits that come from health research. In 2014, the funding bodies for higher education in the UK conducted an assessment of research using an approach termed the Research Excellence Framework (REF). As one element of the REF, universities and medical schools in the UK submitted 1,621 case studies claiming to show the impact of their health and other life sciences research conducted over the last 20 years. The recently published results show many case studies were judged positively as providing examples of the wide range and extensive nature of the benefits from such research, including the development of new treatments and screening programmes that resulted in considerable reductions in mortality and morbidity.Analysis of specific case studies yet again illustrates the international dimension of progress in health research; however, as has also long been argued, not all populations fully share the benefits. In recognition of this, in May 2013 the World Health Assembly requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish a Global Observatory on Health Research and Development (R&D) as part of a strategic work-plan to promote innovation, build capacity, improve access, and mobilise resources to address diseases that disproportionately affect the world's poorest countries.As editors of Health Research Policy and Systems (HARPS), we are delighted that our journal has been invited to help inform the establishment of the WHO Global Observatory through a Call for Papers covering a range of topics relevant to the Observatory, including topics on which HARPS has published articles over the last few months, such as approaches to assessing research results, measuring expenditure data with a focus on R&D, and landscape analyses of platforms for implementing R&D. Topics related to research capacity building may also be considered. The task of establishing a Global Observatory on Health R&D to achieve the specified objectives will not be easy; nevertheless, this Call for Papers is well timed - it comes just at the point where the evidence of the benefits from health research has been considerably strengthened.

Four centuries on from Bacon: progress in building health research systems to improve health systems?

In 1627, Francis Bacon's New Atlantis described a utopian society in which an embryonic research system contributed to meeting the needs of the society. In this editorial, we use some of the aspirations described in New Atlantis to provide a context within which to consider recent progress in building health research systems to improve health systems and population health. In particular, we reflect on efforts to build research capacity, link research to policy, identify the wider impacts made by the science, and generally build fully functioning research systems to address the needs identified. In 2014, Health Research Policy and Systems has continued to publish one-off papers and article collections covering a range of these issues in both high income countries and low- and middle-income countries. Analysis of these contributions, in the context of some earlier ones, is brought together to identify achievements, challenges and possible ways forward. We show how 2014 is likely to be a pivotal year in the development of ways to assess the impact of health research on policies, practice, health systems, population health, and economic benefits.We demonstrate how the increasing focus on health research systems will contribute to realising the hopes expressed in the World Health Report, 2013, namely that all nations would take a systematic approach to evaluating the outputs and applications resulting from their research investment.

Organising health research systems as a key to improving health: the World Health Report 2013 and how to make further progress.

The World Health Report 2013 provides a major boost to the health research community and, in particular, to those who believe that health research will make its greatest impact on improving health when it is organised through a systems approach. The World Health Report 2013, Research for Universal Health Coverage, starts with three key messages. Firstly, that universal health coverage, with full access to high-quality services, needs research evidence if it is to be achieved; second, all nations should conduct and use research; and finally, the report states that systems are needed to develop national research agendas, to raise funds, to strengthen research capacity, and to make effective use of research findings. Each of these themes is elaborated in the report and supported by extensive references.In this editorial, we first outline the key messages from the World Health Report 2013 and highlight the contributions made by papers from our journal, Health Research Policy and Systems. In addition, we discuss very recent papers that advance some issues even further. In particular, we consider new evidence both on how to achieve financial protection for those who use health services, and on whether healthcare professionals and organisations who engage in research provide an improved healthcare performance. Finally, we propose additional perspectives that add to the impressive body of evidence and analyses presented in the report. Specifically, we suggest that considering the needs of various stakeholders, as attempted in the UK, in parallel with analysing how to fulfil essential functions, should boost the prospects of successfully building and strengthening health research systems. This is important because research is vital for achieving universal health coverage, and consequently for improving the health of millions of people.

[Capacity of the legal framework of public health institutions in Mexico to support their functional integration]. / Capacidad del marco jurídico de las instituciones públicas de salud de México para apoyar la integración funcional.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the capacity of the federal legal framework to govern financing of health institutions in the public sector through innovative schemes--otherwise known as functional integration--, enabling them to purchase and sell health services to and from other public providers as a strategy to improve their performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on indicators of normative alignment with respect to functional integration across public health provider and governance institutions, content analysis was undertaken of national health programs and relevant laws and guidelines for financial coordination. RESULTS: Significant progress was identified in the implementation of agreements for the coordination of public institutions. While the legal framework provides for a National Health System and a health sector, gaps and contradictions limit their scope. The General Register of Health is also moving forward, yet it lacks the necessary legal foundation to become a comprehensive tool for integration. The medical service exchange agreements are also moving forward based on tariffs and shared guidelines. However, there is a lack of incentives to promote the expansion of these agreements. CONCLUSIONS: It is recommended to update the legal framework for the coordination of the National Health System, ensuring a more harmonious and general focus to provide functional integration with the needed impulse.

Capacidad del marco jurídico de las instituciones públicas de salud de México para apoyar la integración funcional / Capacity of the legal framework of public health institutions in Mexico to support their functional integration

OBJETIVO: Evaluar la capacidad del marco legal federal para gobernar el financiamiento de las instituciones públicas de salud mediante esquemas innovadores que les permiten comprar y vender servicios de salud de y a otros proveedores públicos, como una estrategia para mejorar su desempeño. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Con base en indicadores de alineamiento normativo respecto de la integración funcional entre instituciones proveedoras públicas y de gobernanza, se analizó el contenido de los programas nacionales de salud y de leyes y lineamientos oficiales pertinentes para la coordinación financiera. RESULTADOS: Se identificó un avance considerable en la implementación de convenios para la coordinación de las instituciones públicas. No obstante, el marco legal en apoyo al Sistema Nacional de Salud y al sector salud muestra deficiencias y contradicciones que limitan su alcance, mientras que el Padrón General de Salud carece del sustento legal necesario para convertirse en una herramienta de amplio beneficio para la integración. Si bien los convenios de intercambio de servicios están avanzando con base en tarifas y lineamientos compartidos, se carece de incentivos que promuevan su expansión. CONCLUSIONES: Es recomendable actualizar el marco legal para la coordinación del Sistema Nacional de Salud, procurando un enfoque más armónico y general que impulse la integración funcional.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the capacity of the federal legal framework to govern financing of health institutions in the public sector through innovative schemes -otherwise known as functional integration-, enabling them to purchase and sell health services to and from other public providers as a strategy to improve their performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on indicators of normative alignment with respect to functional integration across public health provider and governance institutions, content analysis was undertaken of national health programs and relevant laws and guidelines for financial coordination. RESULTS: Significant progress was identified in the implementation of agreements for the coordination of public institutions. While the legal framework provides for a National Health System and a health sector, gaps and contradictions limit their scope. The General Register of Health is also moving forward, yet it lacks the necessary legal foundation to become a comprehensive tool for integration. The medical service exchange agreements are also moving forward based on tariffs and shared guidelines. However, there is a lack of incentives to promote the expansion of these agreements. CONCLUSIONS: It is recommended to update the legal framework for the coordination of the National Health System, ensuring a more harmonious and general focus to provide functional integration with the needed impulse.

"Hospital utilization by Mexican migrants returning to Mexico due to health needs".

BACKGROUND: A total of 12.7 million Mexicans reside as migrants in the United States, of whom only 45% have health insurance in this country while access to health insurance by migrants in Mexico is fraught with difficulties. Health insurance has been shown to impact the use of health care in both countries. This paper quantifies hospitalizations by migrants who return from the US seeking medical care in public and private hospitals in the US-Mexico border area and in communities of origin. The proportion of bed utilization and the proportion of hospitalizations in Mexico out of the total expected by migrants in the US were estimated. METHODS: The universe included 48 Ministry of Health and 47 private hospitals serving municipalities of high or very high migration in Mexico, where 17% of remittance-receiving households are located, as well as 15 public and 159 private hospitals in 10 Mexican cities along the border with the US. Hospitals were sampled through various methods to include 27% of beds. Patients and staff were interviewed and data triangulated to quantify migrants that returned to Mexico seeking medical care. Official hospital discharge statistics and secondary data from migration databases and published statistics were analyzed to identify bed occupancy, general migrant hospitalization rates and the size of the migrant population that maintains close relationships with households in communities of origin. RESULTS: Up to 1609 migrants were admitted to public hospitals (76.6%) and 492 to private hospitals (23.4%) serving municipalities of high and very high migration intensity in 2008. Up to 0.90% of public hospital capacity was used. In the border area up to 908 and 2416 migrants were admitted to public (27.3%) and private (72.7%) hospitals, respectively. Up to 1.18% of public hospital capacity was used. Between 2.4% and 20.4% of the expected hospitalization needs of migrants with dependent households are satisfied through these services. The most common diagnostic categories mentioned across hospitals were traumatisms, complications of diabetes and elective surgery, in that order. Private hospitals mention elective surgeries as the main diagnostic category followed by complications of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals in communities of origin in Mexico are devoting few resources to respond to hospitalization needs of migrants in the US. Currently no hospital programs exist to stimulate migrant demand or to cater to their specific needs. Registering migratory history in clinical and administrative records can be readily implemented. Developing bi-national referral networks and insuring migrants in the US within current Mexican federal programs could greatly increase migrant access to hospitals.

Mapping of health system functions to strengthen priority programs. The case of maternal health in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Health system strengthening is critical to ensure the integration and scaling-up of priority health promotion, disease prevention and control programs. Normative guidelines are available to address health system function imbalances while strategic and analytical frameworks address critical functions in complex systems. Tacit knowledge-based health system constructs can help identify actors' perspectives, contributing to improve strengthening strategies. Using maternal health as an example, this paper maps and analyses the health system functions that critical actors charged with formulating and delivering priority health programs consider important for their success. METHODS: Using concept mapping qualitative and statistical methods, health system functions were mapped for different categories of actors in high maternal mortality states of Mexico and at the federal level. Functions within and across maps were analyzed for degree of classification, importance, feasibility and coding. RESULTS: Hospital infrastructure and human resource training are the most prominent functions in the maternal health system, associated to federal efforts to support emergency obstetric care. Health policy is a highly diffuse function while program development, intercultural and community participation and social networks are clearly stated although less focused and with lower perceived importance. The importance of functions is less correlated between federal and state decision makers, between federal decision makers and reproductive health/local health area program officers and between state decision makers and system-wide support officers. Two sets of oppositions can be observed in coding across functions: health sector vs. social context; and given structures vs. manageable processes. CONCLUSIONS: Concept mapping enabled the identification of critical functions constituting adaptive maternal health systems, including aspects of actor perspectives that are seldom included in normative and analytical frameworks. Important areas of divergence across actors' perceptions were identified to target capacity strengthening efforts towards better integrated, performing health systems.

[Problem mapping by state and federal actors for maternal health attention]. / Mapeo de problemas para la atención a la salud materna por actores estatales y federales.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of problems in the health system that present barriers to maternal care, according to their representation and rating by officials in different positions and social contexts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Workshops were held with state health system officials from Mexican states with high maternal mortality (Mexico, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Veracruz) as well as with federal officials. A total of 99 health system problems were identified. Using concept mapping, 94 officials rated problems according to importance and feasibility; they were grouped into issues. Data was analyzed according to state/federal levels and the responsibilities of participants. The association was measured between responsibility profile/social context and priority issues. RESULTS: The issues of highest priority for maternal health care are infrastructure, personnel hiring and financial resources. The importance of certain issues depends on context and, to an extent, on the actors' responsibilities. CONCLUSIONS: There is consensus among actors to address the principal maternal health problems in Mexico. Important differences correspond to context. The usefulness of concept mapping to analyze problems was demonstrated.

Mapeo de problemas para la atención a la salud materna por actores estatales y federales / Problem mapping by state and federal actors for maternal health attention

OBJETIVO: Analizar las características de problemas del sistema de salud que obstaculizan la atención materna, según los representan y califican funcionarios en diversos puestos y contextos sociales. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizaron talleres con funcionarios de estados de alta mortalidad materna en México (México, Guerrero, Oaxaca y Veracruz) y a nivel federal. Se identificaron 99 problemas en los sistemas de salud. Utilizando mapeo conceptual, 94 funcionarios calificaron los problemas según importancia y factibilidad y se agruparon en regiones. Se analizaron los datos según estado/federación y responsabilidades de los participantes. Se midió la asociación entre perfil/contexto y la priorización de las regiones. RESULTADOS: Las regiones de alta prioridad para la atención materna son infraestructura, contratación de personal y recursos financieros. La importancia de algunas regiones depende del contexto social, aunque también en parte del perfil de responsabilidades de los actores. CONCLUSIONES: Existe consenso entre actores para enfrentar los principales problemas de salud materna en México. Diferencias importantes se deben a diversos contextos. Se demostró la utilidad del mapeo conceptual para el análisis de problemas.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of problems in the health system that present barriers to maternal care, according to their representation and rating by officials in different positions and social contexts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Workshops were held with state health system officials from Mexican states with high maternal mortality (Mexico, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Veracruz) as well as with federal officials. A total of 99 health system problems were identified. Using concept mapping, 94 officials rated problems according to importance and feasibility; they were grouped into issues. Data was analyzed according to state/federal levels and the responsibilities of participants. The association was measured between responsibility profile/social context and priority issues. RESULTS: The issues of highest priority for maternal health care are infrastructure, personnel hiring and financial resources. The importance of certain issues depends on context and, to an extent, on the actors' responsibilities. CONCLUSIONS: There is consensus among actors to address the principal maternal health problems in Mexico. Important differences correspond to context. The usefulness of concept mapping to analyze problems was demonstrated.