A review of Vietnam’s healthcare reform through the Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA)
Abstract Objective This article provides a comprehensive review of the healthcare reform process driven by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health’s Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) scheme. Methods We reviewed policy documents relating to DOHA, along with historical literature and background info...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Komiyama Printing Co. Ltd
2017-10-01
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| Series: | Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12199-017-0682-z |
| _version_ | 1818472466395168768 |
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| author | Kyoko Takashima Koji Wada Ton Thanh Tra Derek R. Smith |
| author_facet | Kyoko Takashima Koji Wada Ton Thanh Tra Derek R. Smith |
| author_sort | Kyoko Takashima |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective This article provides a comprehensive review of the healthcare reform process driven by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health’s Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) scheme. Methods We reviewed policy documents relating to DOHA, along with historical literature and background information describing its formation. Results DOHA (Chỉ đạo tuyến in Vietnamese) literally means guidance line or level in English. It requires healthcare facilities at higher government administration levels to support those at lower levels (the four levels being central, provincial, district, and commune), to help lower level hospitals to provide medical services for local communities in primary care settings and reduce the number of patients in higher level (central and provincial) hospitals. Since the 1990s, there have been too many patients attending higher level hospitals, and DOHA has therefore focused on technical skills transfer training to help alleviate this situation. Designated core central hospitals now provide technical skills transfer to provincial hospitals. Professional technical lists for each level of health facility have enabled strong commitment and proactive ownership of the process of training management in both higher and lower level hospitals. Conclusion The DOHA scheme has accelerated the necessary up-skilling of healthcare at lower level public hospitals across Vietnam. These reforms are highly relevant for other countries with limited healthcare resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:07:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b326029a5af4f5f9d3cfb99fdd309ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1342-078X 1347-4715 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:07:59Z |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | Komiyama Printing Co. Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b326029a5af4f5f9d3cfb99fdd309ab2022-12-22T02:13:18ZengKomiyama Printing Co. LtdEnvironmental Health and Preventive Medicine1342-078X1347-47152017-10-012211710.1186/s12199-017-0682-zA review of Vietnam’s healthcare reform through the Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA)Kyoko Takashima0Koji Wada1Ton Thanh Tra2Derek R. Smith3JICA Project for Strengthening Medical Services in Northwest ProvincesBureau of International Health Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and MedicineDepartment of Quality Management, Cho Ray HospitalCollege of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook UniversityAbstract Objective This article provides a comprehensive review of the healthcare reform process driven by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health’s Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) scheme. Methods We reviewed policy documents relating to DOHA, along with historical literature and background information describing its formation. Results DOHA (Chỉ đạo tuyến in Vietnamese) literally means guidance line or level in English. It requires healthcare facilities at higher government administration levels to support those at lower levels (the four levels being central, provincial, district, and commune), to help lower level hospitals to provide medical services for local communities in primary care settings and reduce the number of patients in higher level (central and provincial) hospitals. Since the 1990s, there have been too many patients attending higher level hospitals, and DOHA has therefore focused on technical skills transfer training to help alleviate this situation. Designated core central hospitals now provide technical skills transfer to provincial hospitals. Professional technical lists for each level of health facility have enabled strong commitment and proactive ownership of the process of training management in both higher and lower level hospitals. Conclusion The DOHA scheme has accelerated the necessary up-skilling of healthcare at lower level public hospitals across Vietnam. These reforms are highly relevant for other countries with limited healthcare resources.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12199-017-0682-zDirection of Healthcare Activities (DOHA)Health systemQualityReferralVietnam |
| spellingShingle | Kyoko Takashima Koji Wada Ton Thanh Tra Derek R. Smith A review of Vietnam’s healthcare reform through the Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) Health system Quality Referral Vietnam |
| title | A review of Vietnam’s healthcare reform through the Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) |
| title_full | A review of Vietnam’s healthcare reform through the Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) |
| title_fullStr | A review of Vietnam’s healthcare reform through the Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) |
| title_full_unstemmed | A review of Vietnam’s healthcare reform through the Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) |
| title_short | A review of Vietnam’s healthcare reform through the Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) |
| title_sort | review of vietnam s healthcare reform through the direction of healthcare activities doha |
| topic | Direction of Healthcare Activities (DOHA) Health system Quality Referral Vietnam |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12199-017-0682-z |
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