Background
In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) striving to achieve universal health coverage, the involvement of different stakeholders in formal or informal ways in health technology assessment (HTA) must be culturally and socially relevant and acceptable. Challenges may be different from those seen in high-income countries. In this article, we aimed to pilot a questionnaire for uncovering the context-related aspects of patient and citizen involvement (PCI) in LMICs, collecting experiences encountered with PCI, and identifying opportunities for patients and citizens toward contributing to local decision- and policy-making processes related to health technologies.
Methods
Through a collaborative, international multi-stakeholder initiative, a questionnaire was developed for describing each LMIC's healthcare system context and the emergence of opportunities for PCI relating to HTA. The questionnaire was piloted in the first set of countries (Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa).
Results
The questionnaire was successfully applied across four diverse LMICs, which are at different stages of using HTA to inform decision making. Only in Brazil, formal ways of PCI have been defined. In the other countries, there is informal influence that is contingent upon the engagement level of patient and citizen advocacy groups (PCAGs), usually strongest in areas such as HIV/AIDS, TB, oncology, or rare diseases.
Conclusions
The questionnaire can be used to analyze the options for patients and citizens to participate in HTA or healthcare decision making. It will be rolled out to more LMICs to describe the requirements and opportunities for PCI in the context of LMICs and to identify possible routes and methodologies for devising a more systematic and formalized PCI in LMICs.
Differentiated service delivery (DSD) and multi-month dispensing (MMD) of antiretroviral therapy (ART) have improved treatment adherence and viral suppression among people living with HIV (PLHIV), and service delivery efficiency. We assessed the experiences of PLHIV and providers with DSD and MMD in Northern Nigeria. We conducted in-depth interviews (IDI) with 40 PLHIV and 6 focus group discussions (FGD) with 39 health care providers across 5 states, exploring their experiences with 6 DSD models. Qualitative data were analyzed using NVivo®1.6.1. Most PLHIV and providers found the models acceptable and expressed satisfaction with service delivery. The DSD model preference of PLHIV was influenced by convenience, stigma, trust, and cost of care. Both PLHIV and providers indicated improvements in adherence and viral suppression; they also raised concerns about quality of care within community-based models. PLHIV and provider experiences suggest that DSD and MMD have the potential to improve patient retention rates and service delivery efficiency.
INTRODUCTION:The Health system in Nigeria is structured into three tiers which include tertiary health care, secondary health care and primary health care (PHC). The latter forms the grassroots system of delivering basic health services to communities in both rural and urban centers. However PHC in Nigeria have been affected by poor service delivery. This has resulted in underuse of PHC due to the acceptance and utilization of health services delivered through this system. This research seek to bridge the gap of inequality, reaffirm that implementing PHC is a human right/duty and fosters patient and consumer involvement for economic, social and environmental sustainability of PHC.METHODS:A qualitative method of research was adopted using a participatory research model. The relative data was sourced secondarily from recent findings (July 2015) carried out in seventy-three primary health centers across Anambra State, Benue State, Kaduna State, Plateau State and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria. Issues that were examined included: client perspective and community involvement, status of available services, utilization and service delivery, and infrastructure and human resource capacities. The respondent of 294 client/service user population from interview were recorded and analyzed.RESULTS:The assessment showed client dissatisfaction to services being provided. In most centers, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) requirements like availability of basic functional equipment, well trained health workers, patient record system, and access to water and sanitation were not met. Most of the facilities visited reported to be disconnected from the health system due to supportive supervision.CONCLUSIONS:Conclusively, the interest of the underserved Nigerian could be advocated for through local committees of consumer organizations. Their involvement will have an impact in PHC evaluation, policy making, and implementation of action plans aimed at improving PHC services.
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