Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010. / Prepared for: Dept. of Health Administration. Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Bibliography: leaves 133-143.

Background: Health information exchange technologies are currently being implemented in many practice settings with the promise to improve quality, efficiency, and costs of care. The benefits are likely highest in settings where entry into the healthcare system is gained; however, in no setting is the need for timely, accurate, and pertinent information more critical than in the emergency department (ED). This study evaluated the use of a payer-based electronic health record (EHR) in an ED on quality, efficiency, and costs of care among a commercially insured population.Methods: Data came from a large health plan and the ED of a large urban ED. Visits with the use of a payer-based EHR were identified from claims between 9/1/05 and 2/17/06. A historical comparison sample of visits was identified from 11/1/04 to 3/31/05. Outcomes included return visits, ED duration, use of laboratory and diagnostic imaging, total costs during and in the four weeks after, and prescription drug utilization.Results: A total of 2,288 ED visits were analyzed (779 EHR visits and 1,509 comparison visits). Discharged visits were associated with an 18 minute shorter duration (95% CI: 5-33); whereas, the EHR among admitted visits was associated with a 77 minute reduction (95% CI: 28-126). The EHR was also associated with $1,560 (95% CI: $43-$2,910) savings in total plan paid for the visit among admitted visits. No significant differences were observed on return visits, laboratory or diagnostic imaging services and total costs over the four week follow-up. Exploratory analyses suggested that the EHR may be associated with a reduction in the number of prescription drugs used among chronic medication users.Conclusion: The EHR studied was associated with a significant reduction in ED duration. Technologies that can reduce ED lengths of stay can have a substantial impact on the care provided to patients and their satisfaction. The data suggests that the EHR may be associated with lower health plan paid amounts among admitted visits and a reduction in the number of pharmacy claims after the visit among chronic users of prescription drugs. Additional research should be conducted to confirm these findings.

O trabalho analisa a experiência de implantação do modelo das Organizações Sociais de Saúde (OSS) no Estado de São Paulo, buscando compreender as questões que se colocam para a adoção de modelos centrados na administração privada de unidades de saúde no âmbito do SUS, seja do ponto de vista sistêmico, seja com relação aos elementos de natureza prática relacionados a sua gestão financeira por parte do Estado. Para tanto, procura-se, inicialmente, identificar as referências teóricas que dão suporte ao modelo OSS no campo da Ciência Econômica e posicionar a experiência em relação às tendências recentes de reforma dos sistemas de saúde. Em seguida, explora-se a importância relativa desse modelo no orçamento do Estado e da Pasta Saúde e os determinantes da formação dos preços dos serviços contratados pelo Estado sob essa forma específica de gestão das unidades públicas de saúde. / This work analyses the experience of Social Health Organizations (Organizações Sociais de Saúde - OSS) implemented by the State Government of São Paulo. Its purpose is to discuss the systemic and practical issues involved in strategies of private management of health units in the Brazilian public health system (SUS) from a financial perspective. This inquiry is pursued initially by identifying the theorectical approach supporting the experience and its relation with health systems recent reforms. In paralel, the OSS model is studied in terms of its importance in the state public budget and in respect to the mechanims determining health services prices through it provided.

O trabalho analisa a experiência de implantação do modelo das Organizações Sociais de Saúde (OSS) no Estado de São Paulo, buscando compreender as questões que se colocam para a adoção de modelos centrados na administração privada de unidades de saúde no âmbito do SUS, seja do ponto de vista sistêmico, seja com relação aos elementos de natureza prática relacionados a sua gestão financeira por parte do Estado. Para tanto, procura-se, inicialmente, identificar as referências teóricas que dão suporte ao modelo OSS no campo da Ciência Econômica e posicionar a experiência em relação às tendências recentes de reforma dos sistemas de saúde. Em seguida, explora-se a importância relativa desse modelo no orçamento do Estado e da Pasta Saúde e os determinantes da formação dos preços dos serviços contratados pelo Estado sob essa forma específica de gestão das unidades públicas de saúde. / This work analyses the experience of Social Health Organizations (Organizações Sociais de Saúde - OSS) implemented by the State Government of São Paulo. Its purpose is to discuss the systemic and practical issues involved in strategies of private management of health units in the Brazilian public health system (SUS) from a financial perspective. This inquiry is pursued initially by identifying the theorectical approach supporting the experience and its relation with health systems recent reforms. In paralel, the OSS model is studied in terms of its importance in the state public budget and in respect to the mechanims determining health services prices through it provided.

Objectif : identifier de nouvelles formes d’organisation et adaptations à développer en soins primaires pour améliorer la prise en charge des personnes sans chez-soi (PSCS).Méthode : recherche mixte. une première phase a exploré les ressentis des médecins généralistes (MG) sur leur place dans la prise en charge des PSCS. La seconde phase a consisté à décrire, par une revue de la littérature, les principales composantes des programmes de soins primaires prenant en charge les PSCS, et identifier les plus pertinentes. La dernière phase a exploré le vécu et les représentations des PSCS vis-à-vis des soins premiers.Résultats : les médecins généralistes relevaient la complexité des prises en charge et le besoin d’une coordination médico-psycho-sociale renforcée. Dans la littérature, la quasi-totalité des programmes prenant en charge les personnes sans chez-soi privilégiaient cette approche pluridisciplinaire coordonnée. Les caractéristiques associées à des impacts positifs pour les PSCS étaient : la spécialisation dans leur prise en charge, l’accompagnement, les approches multidisciplinaires, l’implication d’infirmières dans la prise en charge, l’intégration de services d’aide sociale, et l’engagement dans la santé communautaire. Les entretiens auprès des PSCS ont relevé l’importance des attentes relationnelles : plus qu’une réponse médicale, ils souhaitent être écoutés, considérés et compris.Conclusion : les programmes de soins primaires souhaitant prendre en charge PSCS devraient privilégier une approche pluridisciplinaire et décloisonnée des soins de santé physique, mentale, et de la prise en charge sociale de ces patients, en privilégiant une approche centrée-patient. / Aim: to identify new forms of organization and adaptations to develop in primary care to improve the care of Homeless People (HP).Method: research by mixed methods. In the first phase we explored the views of general practitioners (GPs) about how they can provide care to HP. In the second phase we led a literature review, to describe the main characteristics of the primary care programs that take care of homeless people, and to identify which could be most relevant. In the third phase, we explored the experience and views of HP about primary care.Results: GPs expressed the need to develop medical and psychosocial approach with closer relation with social workers. In the litterature, almost all homelessness programs developed a multidisciplinary approach and / or offered co-located mental health, physical health and social services. Some characteristics were associated with significant positive outcomes: tailored primary care organizations, clinic orientation, multidisciplinary team-based models which included primary care physicians and clinic nurses, integration of social support, and engagement in the community’s health. The interviews with HP showed central relational expectations of HP for their general practitioner. More than a medical response, they expected to be listened to, considered and understood.Conclusion: Primary care programs that wish to better care for HP should develop a multidisciplinary, medico-psycho-social approach. The patient-centered approach appears warranted to improve the care experience of these patients.

No description available.

Donor country initiatives for the prevention and mitigation of HIV/AIDS are not a matter of simple burden sharing. Instead, they have brought in their wake many of the complexities and unforeseen effects that have long been associated with more general overseas development assistance. In the case of funding directed toward HIV/AIDS, these effects are by no means either secondary or easily calculable. It is widely acknowledged that there is no consensus framework on how these impacts may be defined, no framework/toolkit for the evaluation of impacts and no longitudinally significant data that could provide the substance for those evaluations. The subject of this study focuses not on the health outcomes of funding but on how donor-recipient relations could be better deliberated, negotiated and coordinated. We argue that effective leadership and governance of developing country health systems for HIV/AIDS work requires a reconfiguration of how donor-recipient relations are conceived and contracted, and for this purpose, we propose an adaptation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Paris Declaration principles of aid effectiveness.

Diss. (sammanfattning)--Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2009. / Härtill 4 uppsatser. Även tryckt utgåva.

This thesis evaluates experiences, effects, and costs of abdominal massage for people with constipation. The thesis comprises four papers: Paper I is a literature review of health economic analysis of nursing practice. Paper II and III is a prospective randomized controlled trial that evaluates abdominal massage in terms of effects and costs. Paper IV uses a qualitative approach to illuminate the experiences of receiving abdominal massage. Paper II and III included 60 participants who were constipated in accordance with Rome II criteria. Paper IV included nine participants. Paper I investigated the application of economic evaluation in studies of nursing practice. Systematic database searches were performed and gave nearly 600 papers that were screened and 115 studies were relevant according to stipulated inclusion criteria. The result showed that there was a trend of increased publications from the year 2000. Few studies reported the health economic methods used and the perspective of the economic analysis. There was a large variability in number of included cost items. Because the methodological weaknesses in many studies, it was difficult to use some studies as ground for discussion of resource distribution. Paper II investigates the effects of abdominal massage on gastrointestinal function and laxative intake on persons with constipation. The questionnaire Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) was used and data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results showed that after eight weeks of abdominal massage the intervention group experienced significantly fewer gastrointestinal symptoms and had significantly more bowel evacuation compared with the control group. There were no differences in laxative intake. Paper III evaluated the change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people with constipation when receiving abdominal massage and estimates the cost-effectiveness of two alternative implementation scenarios: 1) abdominal massage given by enrolled nurses in a department; and 2) participants giving themselves abdominal massage after receiving training in self-massage. Both scenarios imply that all participants received abdominal massage for eight weeks and those who found the treatment effective continued to receive treatment for eight more weeks. EQ-5D was used to assess HRQoL and for calculating QALY. The intervention group had after eight weeks of abdominal massage significantly higher HRQoL assessed with EQ-5D VAS compared with the control group. No significant differences were assessed with the EQ-5D index. Abdominal massage is initially expensive, but for those who respond favourably abdominal massage can be a cost-effective long-term treatment. Paper IV examines the experiences of receiving abdominal massage when having constipation. Four themes were formulated: being on one’s guard, becoming embraced by safe hands, feeling touch to body and mind, and being in a fragile state. Receiving abdominal massage was described as comfortable and lead to decreased problems with constipation. The improvement was described as easily disturbed and it was associated with demands to continue massage to maintain the new state. Conclusion: Abdominal massage is a pleasant treatment that provides significantly fewer gastrointestinal symptoms and increased health-related quality of life. As a long- term treatment, abdominal massage can be a cost-effective treatment.

Diss. Stockholm: Handelshögsk., 2002.