BACKGROUND: Maternal health care in South Africa is based on the District Health System model which includes public health facilities (such as primary health care clinics, community health centers and district hospitals) as well as private health facilities. The majority of uncomplicated deliveries are expected to happen at community health centers and only complicated cases are expected to be referred to district hospitals. But in reality, the majority of deliveries in a health district happen in district hospitals. This often results in increasing utilisation of resources and decreased quality of care at these hospitals. The Ganyesa District Hospital, situated in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District in the North West Province has been facing similar challenges. Although the Hospital has been collecting routine information for the District Health Information System, it has never been analysed systematically to understand the impact of the current referral system on the performance of this Hospital. Aims: To compare maternal and neonatal profiles and outcomes between referred and self-referred patients delivered at the Ganyesa District Hospital during one year study period (1st April 2008 to 31st March 2009). Methodology: The setting of this study was Ganyesa District Hospital, in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District in the North West Province. A Cross sectional study design was used utilising retrospective data, from the Hospital information systems. The MS excel software based data extraction tool was designed to obtain data from Hospital Information System. The variables used for this study included socio-demographic and clinical profiles of patients. A comparative statistical analysis were done to compare the profile of two groups of patients: (Referred and Self-referred) Results: The majority of the subjects were black. Most of the patients were, single and unemployed. The majority of the patients were multigravidae. The most common past and current medical disorders were diabetes and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). The prevalence of pre-term deliveries of the subjects was 14.8%. The majority of the subjects delivered normally (86.5%) followed by CS (13.2%). The majority of CSs were performed as emergency. PIH and previous CS were common maternal indications whereas fetal distress and mal-presentation were common fetal indications. Prolonged labour and Intra-partum haemorrhage were common maternal complications whereas fetal distress and fresh still-birth were common fetal complications. There were 26 (4.3%) post-partum maternal complications. There were 3 (4.6%) deaths during this period among the patients (Maternal mortality rate of 501/ 100,000). The incidence of low birth weight (less than 2.5 kg) was 23%. The fresh and macerated stillbirths and low Apgar score were common neonatal complications. The majority of the patients (374, 62.5%) arrived after-hours. The majority of the patients arrived by ambulance (87.3%). The median distance between places of residence and PHC facilities (Clinic and CHC) was 12 km. The median distance between places of residence and the Hospital was 45 km. There were no significant differences in socio-demographic (age, ethnicity, marital and employment status) and obstetric profiles (gravidity, prevalence of past medical disorders and antenatal disorders, prevalence of pre-term deliveries, mode of deliveries, intra-partum or post-partum complications and maternal outcomes.) between referred and self-referred patients. The two groups were not significantly different in terms of birth weight, the incidence of low birth weight, and Apgar scores (at 1 minute and 10 minutes) and neonatal complications. More referred patients arrived after hours in comparison to self-referred patients More referred patients arrived with ambulance in comparison to selfreferred patients. The self-referred patients stayed closer to health facilities. This was probably the reason these patients decided to come to Hospital instead of going to their nearby PHC clinics. Conclusion: Findings of this study will be reported to the district and provincial department of health and hopefully will be used for improvement of maternal health services in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District.

Thesis (M.P.H.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Public Health, 2000? / Bibliography: leaves 195-205.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Aberdeen University, 2009. / Title from web page (viewed on Apr. 1, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--La Crosse, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-49).

Missing data are a problem for any clinical trial outcome but are particularly an issue for quality of life (QoL) outcomes.  To investigate the problem of missing data and methods to deal with it, this thesis uses a novel approach, illustrated using seven completed trials. Data from postal reminders were used to investigate the missing data mechanism and test the accuracy of imputation procedures (as the true value was in fact known).  The previously analysis for five of the seven example trials was an analysis of covariance adjusting for baseline QoL and other patient characteristics.  Alternative analysis strategies taking account of other interim responses are considered and contrasted with the published analyses.  The economic impact of the different data collection methods is explored using two economic decision rules. Different analysis strategies were shown to have an impact on the result of the trial.  There is no single best way of dealing with missing data, but some recommendations for researchers are provided.  The role of reminders is shown to be extremely important as the reminder system is a cost-effective use of resources to maintain the sample size, decreasing the amount of missing data and reducing the threat of bias.  Data collected by reminders can be used to inform the selection of potential imputation methods, again reducing bias.  The aim of any trial is to obtain an unbiased as possible estimate of treatment difference to help inform and improve clinical practice to the benefit of patients; the use of reminders may be pivotal in this.

Thesis (D.Ed.)--University of Melbourne, Faculty of Education, 2003. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-200).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rand Graduate School, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Katholieke Universiteit te Nijmegen.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available online through Digital Dissertations.

INTRODUÇÃO: A importância de se avaliar sistemas e serviços de saúde: aumento de gastos, avanços tecnológicos, envelhecimento da população, deficiências com as práticas na assistência, iniquidades na alocação de recursos, necessidade de prestação de contas aos órgãos controladores e à sociedade, melhorias e reformas no sistema e serviços de saúde. A avaliação de desempenho de serviços de saúde demonstra parte importante do desempenho do sistema de saúde, permitindo comparações de desempenho de processos e resultados, à medida que os serviços avaliados tenham articulações entre si, e que o desfecho tenha relações com todos os níveis da atenção avaliados. OBJETIVO: avaliar o desempenho dos serviços públicos de saúde de um município paulista de médio porte, no período de 2008 a 2015, quanto a resultados de qualidade nas dimensões do acesso, da efetividade e da adequação de serviços. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: estudo exploratório, com análise descritiva de dados quantitativos. Utilizados indicadores de saúde dos sistemas de informação do Ministério da Saúde, e populacionais do IBGE. Foram distribuídos nas dimensões do acesso, efetividade e adequação, conforme modelo do PROADESS - Metodologia de Avaliação do Desempenho do Sistema de Saúde; para a interpretação do desempenho foi realizada comparação entre o nível municipal e outros três níveis (estado de São Paulo, região Sudeste e Brasil). RESULTADOS: acesso: taxa de internação, cirurgia de revascularização, angioplastia e imunização por tetra/pentavalente demonstraram melhor desempenho dos serviços de saúde municipais em relação aos demais níveis; cobertura Estratégia Saúde da Família e vacinação do idoso contra a gripe demonstraram pior desempenho, porém com tendência de melhora ao longo do tempo. Adequação: consultas de pré-natal do município com melhor desempenho em relação aos demais níveis, e mais próximas do preconizado; histerectomia e partos cesáreos com pior desempenho. Efetividade: mortes em internações por infarto agudo do miocárdio com melhor desempenho para o município; internações por Condições Sensíveis à Atenção Básica, sífilis congênita em menor de um ano e amputação de membros inferiores em diabéticos com pior desempenho municipal em relação aos outros três níveis do estudo. CONCLUSÃO: quanto ao acesso, no conjunto dos indicadores o desempenho foi positivo, com melhor resultado para a atenção hospitalar em relação à atenção básica; quanto à adequação, o desempenho foi desfavorável ao município em comparação com os demais níveis, assim como na efetividade o desempenho municipal também foi inferior aos outros três níveis pesquisados, demonstrando fragilidade na atenção básica da assistência. / INTRODUCTION: The importance of evaluating health systems and services: increased expenditures, technological advances, aging of the population, deficiencies with assistance practices, iniquities in resource allocation, accountability to controlling organs and society, improvements and reforms in the health system and services. The performance evaluation of health services demonstrates an important part of the performance of the health system, allowing comparisons of performance of processes and results, as the services evaluated have articulations among them, and that the outcome has relations with all levels of attention evaluated. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the performance of public health services in a medium-sized São Paulo municipality, from 2008 to 2015, in terms of quality, access, effectiveness and adequacy of services. MATERIAL AND METHOD: exploratory study, with descriptive analysis of quantitative data. Health indicators of the information systems of the Ministry of Health and of the IBGE population were used. They were distributed in the dimensions of access, effectiveness and adequacy, according to the model of the PROADESS - Methodology for Evaluation of Health System Performance; for the interpretation of the performance was carried out comparison between the municipal level and other three levels (state of São Paulo, Southeast region and Brazil). RESULTS: access: hospitalization rate, revascularization surgery, angioplasty and tetra / pentavalent immunization demonstrated better performance of the municipal health services in relation to the other levels; coverage Family Health Strategy and vaccination of the elderly against influenza showed worse performance, but with a tendency to improve over time. Adequacy: prenatal consultations of the municipality with better performance in relation to the other levels, and closer to that recommended; hysterectomy and cesarean delivery with worse performance. Effectiveness: deaths in hospitalizations due to acute myocardial infarction with better performance for the municipality; hospitalizations for conditions sensitive to primary care, congenital syphilis in less than one year and amputation of lower limbs in diabetics with worse municipal performance in relation to the other three levels of the study. CONCLUSION: with regard to access, in the set of indicators, performance was positive, with a better result for hospital care in relation to primary care; in terms of adequacy, the performance was unfavorable to the municipality in comparison to the other levels, as well as in the effectiveness, the municipal performance was also inferior to the other three levels surveyed, showing weakness in the basic assistance care.