Afghan refugees’ experience of Iran’s health service delivery

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore experiences of Afghan refugees from health service delivery in Mashhad, Iran. Design/methodology/approach – This is a descriptive study with contextual and qualitative design. Semi-structured interview conducted with 19 Afghan refugees and their caregivers and a focus group session were held with Afghan medical science students. Purposive sampling technique was used to select participants. Data were analysed by qualitative content analysis of Graneheim and Lundman. Lincoln and Guba’s criteria were implemented to ensure trustworthiness. Findings – The results with the core concept of “position of immigrants in the health system” were presented at four themes of “perceived discrimination”, “snowed with loneliness”, “feeling inferior”, and “gratitude”. Research limitations/implications – This study has some implications for researchers and practitioners. The present study is the first study that was done on the health of Afghan refugees in Iran, therefore it can be a ground for further research. In addition, it has valuable results regarding the Afghan immigrants’ experience of health care system of Iran. Practical implications – It can be useful for improving the condition of immigrants in Iran and for improving Iran’s health system. In order to improve the health system in Iran, authorities should pay much attention to transcultural caring and needs of minorities. Furthermore, health workers should be trained to appropriately take care of all patients, without prejudice. Originality/value – Overall the study revealed that there is inequity in access to health services among Afghan refugees in Iran. The findings, although not generalized, offer important insights into health care providers in Iran which should be delivering health service without prejudice. The authors recommended that policies of public medical insurance and assistance programme should be implemented for providing affordable health care services for Afghan refugees.

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The public’s trust and information brokers in health care, public health and research

Journal of Health Organization and Management ◽

10.1108/jhom-11-2018-0332 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (7/8) ◽

pp. 929-948 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jodyn Platt ◽

Minakshi Raj ◽

Sharon L.R. Kardia

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health System ◽

Information Sharing ◽

Health Information ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Care Providers ◽

Content Type ◽

The Public ◽

Information Brokers

Purpose Nations such as the USA are investing in technologies such as electronic health records in order to collect, store and transfer information across boundaries of health care, public health and research. Health information brokers such as health care providers, public health departments and university researchers function as “access points” to manage relationships between the public and the health system. The relationship between the public and health information brokers is influenced by trust; and this relationship may predict the trust that the public has in the health system as a whole, which has implications for public trust in the system, and consequently, legitimacy of involved institutions, under circumstances of health information data sharing in the future. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors aimed to examine characteristics of trustors (i.e. the public) that predict trust in health information brokers; and further, to identify the factors that influence trust in brokers that also predict system trust. The authors developed a survey that was administered to US respondents in 2014 using GfK’s nationally representative sample, with a final sample of 1,011 participants and conducted ordinary least squares regression for data analyses. Findings Results suggest that health care providers are the most trusted information brokers of those examined. Beliefs about medical deceptive behavior were negatively associated with trust in each of the information brokers examined; however, psychosocial factors were significantly associated with trust in brokers, suggesting that individual attitudes and beliefs are influential on trust in brokers. Positive views of information sharing and the expectation of benefits of information sharing for health outcomes and health care quality are associated with system trust. Originality/value This study suggests that demonstrating the benefits and value of information sharing could be beneficial for building public trust in the health system; however, trust in brokers of information are variable across the public; that is, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs are associated with the level of trust different individuals have in various health information brokers – suggesting that the need for a personalized approach to building trust.

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Commentary on “Diabetes and people with learning disabilities: issues for policy, practice and education”

Tizard Learning Disability Review ◽

10.1108/tldr-11-2019-0035 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 35-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Brianne Redquest ◽

Yona Lunsky

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Learning Disabilities ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Diabetes Care ◽

Future Research ◽

Care Providers ◽

Family Carers ◽

Content Type ◽

Policy Practice

Purpose There has been an increase in research exploring the area of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and diabetes. Despite being described as instrumental to diabetes care for people with IDD, the role and experiences of family carers, such as parents and siblings, are often neglected in this research. However, it is clear that family carers do not feel that they have sufficient knowledge about diabetes. The purpose of this commentary is to extend the content from “Diabetes and people with learning disabilities: Issues for policy, practice, and education (Maine et al., 2020)” and discuss how family carers can feel better supported when caring for someone with IDD and diabetes. Design/methodology/approach This commentary discusses specific efforts such as STOP diabetes, DESMOND-ID and OK-diabetes for people with IDD including family carers. Encouragement is given for health care providers to recommend such programmes to people with IDD and their family carers. It is also suggested that health care providers involve family carers in diabetes care planning and implementation for people with IDD. Findings It is hoped that if changes are made to current diabetes practices and more research with family carers is conducted, diabetes prevention and management for people with IDD will be more successful and family carers can feel more confident in providing support to their loved ones. Originality/value Research exploring the role of family carers in diabetes care for people with IDD and diabetes is very limited. This commentary makes recommendations to help family carers feel better supported in their role. It also provides areas for future research.

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Human rights-based conceptions of deservingness: health and precarity

International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care ◽

10.1108/ijmhsc-07-2019-0071 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 279-292

Author(s):

Sarah Marshall

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Human Rights ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Health Care Access ◽

Migrant Health ◽

Dominant Negative ◽

Care Providers ◽

Content Type ◽

Care Access ◽

Health Related

Purpose Ideas of health-related deservingness in theory and practise have largely been attached to humanitarian notions of compassion and care for vulnerable persons, in contrast to rights-based approaches involving a moral-legal obligation to care based on universal citizenship principles. This paper aims to provide an alternative to these frames, seeking to explore ideas of a human rights-based deservingness framework to understand health care access and entitlement amongst precarious status persons in Canada. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from theoretical conceptualizations of deservingness, this paper aims to bring deservingness frameworks into the language of human rights discourses as these ideas relate to inequalities based on noncitizenship. Findings Deservingness frameworks have been used in public discourses to both perpetuate and diminish health-related inequalities around access and entitlement. Although, movements based on human rights have the potential to be co-opted and used to re-frame precarious status migrants as “undeserving”, movements driven by frames of human rights-based deservingness can subvert these dominant, negative discourses. Originality/value To date, deservingness theory has primarily been used to speak to issues relating to deservingness to welfare services. In relation to deservingness and precarious status migrants, much of the literature focuses on humanitarian notions of the “deserving” migrant. Health-related deservingness based on human rights has been under-theorized in the literature and the authors can learn from activist movements, precarious status migrants and health care providers that have taken on this approach to mobilize for rights based on being “human”.

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Social media as a platform for information and support for coronavirus: analysis ofCOVID-19 Facebook groups

Global Knowledge Memory and Communication ◽

10.1108/gkmc-11-2020-0183 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Hossein Motahari-Nezhad ◽

Maryam Shekofteh ◽

Maryam Andalib-Kondori

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Information Needs ◽

Descriptive Statistics ◽

Public Knowledge ◽

Care Providers ◽

Analysis Method ◽

Content Type ◽

Content Analysis Method

Purpose This study aims to investigate the characteristics, as well as the purpose and posts of the COVID-19 Facebook groups. Design/methodology/approach A systematic search for COVID-19 Facebook groups was conducted on June 1, 2020. Characteristics of the groups were examined using descriptive statistics. Mann-Whitney test was used to study the differences between groups. The study of the most popular groups’ posts was also carried out using the content analysis method. Findings The groups had a combined membership of 2,729,061 users. A total of 147,885 posts were received. There were about approximately 60% public groups. A high percentage of the groups (86.5%) had descriptions. The results showed a significant relationship between the groups’ description status and the number of members (p-value = 0.016). The majority of COVID-19 Facebook groups (56%) were created to meet their members’ information needs. The highest number of studied posts were related to vaccination (35.2%), followed by curfew rules (19.6%) and symptoms (10.6%). Originality/value Translating these insights into policies and practices will put policymakers and health-care providers in a stronger position to make better use of Facebook groups to support and enhance public knowledge about COVID-19.

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Framework for successful supply chain implementation in healthcare area from provider’s prospective

Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1108/apjie-04-2018-0024 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 135-145 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ik-Whan Kwon ◽

Sung-Ho Kim

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Supply Chain ◽

Inventory Management ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Management Practices ◽

Cost Of Care ◽

Care Providers ◽

Financial Health ◽

Content Type ◽

Supply Chain Finance

Purpose This paper aims to explore avenue where suppliers and manufacturers are aligned with health-care providers to improve supply chain visibility. Supply chain finance is explored to link suppliers/manufacturers with health-care providers. Design/methodology/approach Existing literature on supply chain visibility in health care forms a basis to achieve the study purpose. Alignment calls also for financial health where supply chain partners’ working capital is readily available to execute joint supply chain plan. Findings There is a disjoint in supply chain alliance between suppliers/manufacturers and providers where providers are unable to trace the origin of supplies. Quality care suffers and cost of care rises as providers search for supplies on an emergency basis. This paper provides a framework where solution can be formulated. Research limitations/implications Suppliers/manufactures form a direct strategic alliance with providers where product visibility enables health-care providers with a better patient management with lower cost of supplies. Inventory management and logistics cost will be lowered as better planning/forecasting is in place. This paper does not call for testing any hypothesis. Perhaps, next move along this line will be to investigate financial health of supply chain partners based on supplier relationship management practices. Originality/value This paper proposes health-care supply chain as an alternative solution to achieve the following twin purposes: controlling the cost while improving quality of care through supply chain finance. As far as we know, this study is the first attempt to achieve the goals.

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Potential scope and impact of a transboundary model of nurse practitioners in aged care

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py09009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 232 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kasia Bail ◽

Paul Arbon ◽

Marlene Eggert ◽

Anne Gardner ◽

Sonia Hogan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Service ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Nurse Practitioners ◽

Nurse Practitioner ◽

Health Service Delivery ◽

Aged Care ◽

Residential Aged Care ◽

Care Providers ◽

Care Nurse ◽

Residential Aged Care Facilities

Aged care is a growing issue in Australia and other countries. There are significant barriers to meeting the health needs of this population. Current services have gaps between care and lack communication and integration between care providers. Research was conducted in the Australian Capital Territory to investigate the potential role of the aged care nurse practitioner in health service delivery in aged care settings. A multimethod case study design was utilised, with three student nurse practitioners (SNP) providing care to aged care clients across three sectors of health service delivery (residential aged care facilities, general medical practices and acute care). Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews and journal entries of the SNP, as well as focus groups and surveys of multidisciplinary staff and patients over the age of 65 years in the settings frequented by the SNP. The aged care SNP were found to cross professional and organisational boundaries, cross intra- as well as interorganisational boundaries and to contribute to more seamless patient care as members of a multidisciplinary aged care team. The aged care nurse practitioner role consequently has the potential to function in a networked rather than a hierarchical manner, and this could be a key element in addressing gaps in care across care locales and between disciplines.

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Understanding health consumer value: service marketing perspective

South Asian Journal of Business Studies ◽

10.1108/sajbs-04-2017-0051 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 2-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Shahidul Islam

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Service Marketing ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Extensive Literature ◽

Service Orientation ◽

Care Providers ◽

Content Type ◽

Hospital Choice ◽

Health Consumers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to clarify and explain patient-centered health choices, facilitating health-care providers’ service orientation. Design/methodology/approach Extensive literature review has been done to extract seven constructs (five dimensions of SERVQUAL, perceived service cost (PSC), and reference) and their underlying 28 items to be quantified. A survey of 201 health consumers was conducted to rate those variables and their constructs. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling are utilized to delineate and explicate factors. Findings The confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that responsiveness has the highest predictive power in explaining hospital choice intention. However, PSC, the only construct, is not statistically significant. The models are considered to have satisfactory reliability, validity, and acceptable fit. Research limitations/implications Since the study was administered in Comilla city, the generalizations should be exploited carefully. Future studies can be carried out on the behavioral patterns of patients and attitudes of health-care providers with respect to the discussed factors and variables. Practical implications The result highlights patients’ service expectations that can be carefully and creatively applied in the service marketing program, improving doctors’ and nurses’ service orientation, developing physical evidence, and managing references to communicate service value to patients. Originality/value What health consumers emphasize and how they incorporate service quality dimensions into hospital choice intention has stayed almost unexplored in the existing literature in Bangladesh. This study provides valuable insights into the meaning of patients’ choices, which will help practitioners and researchers to formulate marketing strategies that improve health-care outcomes and are acceptable to patients.

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Health care providers' experiences with delivering person centred care in an Integrated Care Program for thoracic surgery patients in Ontario, Canada

Journal of Integrated Care ◽

10.1108/jica-10-2020-0068 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Kathy Kornas ◽

Meghan O'Neill ◽

Catherine Y. Liang ◽

Lori Diemert ◽

Tsoleen Ayanian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Integrated Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Work Life ◽

Quality Of Work Life ◽

Care Providers ◽

Content Type ◽

Quality Of Work ◽

Provider Experiences

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand health care providers' experiences with delivering a novel Integrated Care (IC) Program that co-ordinates hospital-based clinical services and home care for thoracic surgery patients, including perceptions on the provision of person-centred care and quality of work life.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a process evaluation using qualitative methods to understand provider experiences in the Integrated Care (IC) Program and to identify areas for programme improvement. Study data were collected using a focus group with thoracic surgeons, open-ended survey with home care providers, and semi-structured interviews with lead thoracic surgeons and IC leads, who are nurses serving as the primary point of contact for one consistent care team. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsThe IC Program was successful in supporting a partnership between health care providers and patients and caregivers to deliver a comprehensive and person-centred care experience. Informational continuity between providers was facilitated by IC leads and improved over time with greater professional integration and adaptation to the new care delivery processes. Differential impacts were found on quality of work life for providers in the IC Program.Originality/valueThis study describes provider experiences with delivering integrated and person-centred care across the hospital to home continuum, which can inform future integrated care initiatives.

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Moving Stroke Rehabilitation Research Evidence into Clinical Practice: Consensus-Based Core Recommendations From the Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable

Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair ◽

10.1177/1545968319886485 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (11) ◽

pp. 935-942 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Janice J. Eng ◽

Marie-Louise Bird ◽

Erin Godecke ◽

Tammy C. Hoffmann ◽

Carole Laurin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Stroke Rehabilitation ◽

Research Evidence ◽

Stroke Recovery ◽

Care Providers ◽

Consensus Process ◽

International Consensus

Moving research evidence to practice can take years, if not decades, which denies stroke patients and families from receiving the best care. We present the results of an international consensus process prioritizing what research evidence to implement into stroke rehabilitation practice to have maximal impact. An international 10-member Knowledge Translation Working Group collaborated over a six-month period via videoconferences and a two-day face-to-face meeting. The process was informed from surveys received from 112 consumers/family members and 502 health care providers in over 28 countries, as well as from an international advisory of 20 representatives from 13 countries. From this consensus process, five of the nine identified priorities relate to service delivery (interdisciplinary care, screening and assessment, clinical practice guidelines, intensity, family support) and are generally feasible to implement or improve upon today. Readily available website resources are identified to help health care providers harness the necessary means to implement existing knowledge and solutions to improve service delivery. The remaining four priorities relate to system issues (access to services, transitions in care) and resources (equipment/technology, staffing) and are acknowledged to be more difficult to implement. We recommend that health care providers, managers, and organizations determine whether the priorities we identified are gaps in their local practice, and if so, consider implementation solutions to address them to improve the quality of lives of people living with stroke.

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