Research to policy on defining accessibility of public health facilities to ensure universal health coverage
Background: The mandate to ensure the availability of doctors under Universal Health Coverage has been one of the most difficult issues to address in India. It is believed that the geographic location of health facilities has influenced the availability of doctors in rural areas, which may have resu...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2019;volume=8;issue=10;spage=3242;epage=3246;aulast=Prasad |
| _version_ | 1811193019710308352 |
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| author | Banuru M Prasad Jhimly Baruah Padam Khanna |
| author_facet | Banuru M Prasad Jhimly Baruah Padam Khanna |
| author_sort | Banuru M Prasad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The mandate to ensure the availability of doctors under Universal Health Coverage has been one of the most difficult issues to address in India. It is believed that the geographic location of health facilities has influenced the availability of doctors in rural areas, which may have resulted in long-standing vacancies. There was a need to classify facilities based on location and access, to propose policies and strategies. The classification was arrived through a consultative process, which led to ambiguity. Aim: The aim of this study is to develop a criteria to identify health facilities based on location considering accessibility indicators. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional operational research was conducted during 2010–2011 to collect data for public-health facilities above subcenters and below district hospitals across India. Materials and Methods: Data was collected for geographic, environmental, housing, and vacancy status of doctors; for which scores were assigned for each health facility. Results: A total of 20,528 (76%) were included for analysis out of 26,876 health facilities. Following application of criteria, 3,011 (11%) facilities were identified as eligible; of these, 1%, 3%, and 7% facilities were identified as inaccessible, most-difficult, and difficult facilities, respectively. The consultative meetings with state governments resulted in agreement on the criteria adopted. Conclusion: The study demonstrated more robust criteria to define access to health care facilities by applying composite scoring methods, which was validated through a consultative process with key stakeholders. The study results were applied to incentivize doctors serving in difficult areas in a move to address human resource gaps in rural areas and ensure universal health coverage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:01:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a43af7765704b0d826ad30b0f6603be |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2249-4863 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:01:23Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a43af7765704b0d826ad30b0f6603be2022-12-22T03:56:14ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Care2249-48632019-01-018103242324610.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_577_19Research to policy on defining accessibility of public health facilities to ensure universal health coverageBanuru M PrasadJhimly BaruahPadam KhannaBackground: The mandate to ensure the availability of doctors under Universal Health Coverage has been one of the most difficult issues to address in India. It is believed that the geographic location of health facilities has influenced the availability of doctors in rural areas, which may have resulted in long-standing vacancies. There was a need to classify facilities based on location and access, to propose policies and strategies. The classification was arrived through a consultative process, which led to ambiguity. Aim: The aim of this study is to develop a criteria to identify health facilities based on location considering accessibility indicators. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional operational research was conducted during 2010–2011 to collect data for public-health facilities above subcenters and below district hospitals across India. Materials and Methods: Data was collected for geographic, environmental, housing, and vacancy status of doctors; for which scores were assigned for each health facility. Results: A total of 20,528 (76%) were included for analysis out of 26,876 health facilities. Following application of criteria, 3,011 (11%) facilities were identified as eligible; of these, 1%, 3%, and 7% facilities were identified as inaccessible, most-difficult, and difficult facilities, respectively. The consultative meetings with state governments resulted in agreement on the criteria adopted. Conclusion: The study demonstrated more robust criteria to define access to health care facilities by applying composite scoring methods, which was validated through a consultative process with key stakeholders. The study results were applied to incentivize doctors serving in difficult areas in a move to address human resource gaps in rural areas and ensure universal health coverage.http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2019;volume=8;issue=10;spage=3242;epage=3246;aulast=Prasadaccessibilityincentive to doctorspublic health facilitiesuniversal health coverage |
| spellingShingle | Banuru M Prasad Jhimly Baruah Padam Khanna Research to policy on defining accessibility of public health facilities to ensure universal health coverage Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care accessibility incentive to doctors public health facilities universal health coverage |
| title | Research to policy on defining accessibility of public health facilities to ensure universal health coverage |
| title_full | Research to policy on defining accessibility of public health facilities to ensure universal health coverage |
| title_fullStr | Research to policy on defining accessibility of public health facilities to ensure universal health coverage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Research to policy on defining accessibility of public health facilities to ensure universal health coverage |
| title_short | Research to policy on defining accessibility of public health facilities to ensure universal health coverage |
| title_sort | research to policy on defining accessibility of public health facilities to ensure universal health coverage |
| topic | accessibility incentive to doctors public health facilities universal health coverage |
| url | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2019;volume=8;issue=10;spage=3242;epage=3246;aulast=Prasad |
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