Israel Journal of Health Policy Research This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Multinational dietary changes and anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic-findings from Israel
ConclusionsDuring the COVID pandemic, changes in nutrition quality and habits were associated with greater anxiety. These findings suggest the need for routine and continuous surveillance of the nutritional and psychological consequences of outbreaks as part of healthcare preparedness efforts. Organizations responsible for community-based health services (such as Israeli health plans) should adopt specific interventions to improve case finding and support individuals at increased risk of anxiety and declining nutrition status within primary healthcare settings. These interventions should include the provision of appropriat...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - March 23, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Suicide rates and risk factors for suicide among Israeli immigrants from Ethiopia (1985 –2017)
ConclusionsThe considerable gap between the EI ’s and FSUI’s suicide rates highlights the critical role of immigrants’ integration difficulties. These difficulties among EI lead to ongoing conflict within the family, which may explain why marriage is less protective for EI. Nevertheless, progressive integration is occurring as indicated by the decline in suicide rates since 2006. The fluctuations in EI suicide rates over time seem to be associated with modifications in social welfare allowances, which are crucial for EI of low socioeconomic status. Groups at risk, particularly EI men facing socioeconomic challenges a...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - March 23, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

A study of ethnic, gender and educational differences in attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines in Israel – implications for vaccination implementation policies
ConclusionsThe study revealed a relatively high percentage reported would be reluctant to get vaccinated, prior to the introduction of the vaccine. This was more marked so for Arabs then Jews, and more so for women within the ethnic groups. While this was not a true random sample, the findings are consistent with the large ethnic differences in compliance with the vaccine, currently encountered and reinforce the policy implications for developing effective communication to increase vaccine adherence. Government policies directed at controlling the pandemic should include sector-specific information campaigns, which are tai...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - March 19, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Changes in the activity levels and financing sources of Israel ’s private for-profit hospitals in the wake of reforms to the public-private divide
Conclusions and policy implicationsIn the wake of the reforms, there was a substantial shift from private to public financing of elective surgical activity in private hospitals.Private for-profit hospitals have become important providers of publicly-funded procedures. It is likely that the reforms affected the public-private mix in the financing of elective surgical procedures in those hospitals, but due to the absence of a control group, causality cannot be proven. It is also unclear whether waiting times were shortened. Health reforms must be accompanied by a clear and comprehensive set of indicators for measuring their ...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - March 15, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Determinants of Israeli consumers ’ decision to use food label information more frequently: a national survey study
ConclusionsGeneral public information campaigns and HMOs campaigns with messages to motivate the use of food labels should emphasize the benefits of using labels to select food products. These messages should aim at increasing individuals ’ perceived confidence in understanding the information on nutrition labels. The recent front-of-package labeling reform could be an important policy step for achieving healthier nutrition. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - March 15, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Obstetric anesthesia services in Israel snapshot (OASIS) study: a 72 hour cross-sectional observational study of workforce supply and demand
ConclusionsInadequate WF allocations may impair quality and safety outcomes in obstetric anesthesia services. OAAI is a better predictor of WL than delivery numbers alone, especially concerning WF shortage. To assess the quality and safety of anesthetic services to labor units nationally, observational data on workforce, workload, and clinical outcomes should be collected prospectively in all labor units in Israel. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - March 15, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Correction to: The quality of primary care provided to the elderly in Israel
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - March 10, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Patient-centered care: achieving higher quality by designing care through the patient ’s eyes
AbstractPatient centered care requires that health care organizations and health care professionals actively understand what patients value. Fortunately, there are methods for gaining that understanding. But, they need to be adopted much more widely, and patients need to be treated as full partners in their care. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - March 5, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Publisher Correction to: The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination: what can Canada learn from Israel?
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - February 26, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, March –November 2020: when, where, and for whom?
ConclusionIsrael has seen significant excess mortality in August –October 2020, particularly in the Arab sector. The excess mortality in March–November was statistically significant only at older ages, over 65. It is very important to protect this susceptible population from exposure and prioritize them for inoculations. Lockdowns were successful in lowering the excess mortality. The excess mortality is similar to official data on COVID-19 deaths. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - February 26, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Early Covid-19 vaccination rollout: a commentary from England
AbstractEarly, rapid, nationally orchestrated vaccine rollout has been a feature in the response to the global coronavirus pandemic in Israel and the UK, two countries with long established, universal socialised health care systems. Although there are many differences between England and Israel, the factors influencing the early days of the rollout merit exploration and learning that could be of benefit to other countries as they grapple to plan their own Covid-19 vaccine programmes. This commentary considers aspects of the rollout in both countries, in response to the article by Rosen and colleagues that identified contri...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - February 26, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Improving the quality of care in health systems: towards better strategies
AbstractImproving the quality of health care across a nation is complex and hard. Countries often rely on multiple single national level programmes to make progress. But the key is to use a framework to develop a balanced overall strategy, and evaluate the main elements continuously and over time. Achieving that requires having a critical mass of leaders who collectively can see the bigger picture now, envision a roadmap for the future to chart an intelligent course, and course correct regularly. This is a long-term agenda requiring commitment, careful stewardship, different perspectives, trust, and the building of knowled...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - February 19, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Who should be vaccinated first? Comparing vaccine prioritization strategies in Israel and European countries using the Covid-19 Health System Response Monitor
AbstractThe rapid rollout of Israel ’s vaccination program has led to considerable international interest. In this brief commentary we consider how the criteria for vaccination priority groups differ between Israel and selected European countries. We argue that following the Israeli approach of using broad criteria for prioritizatio n— i.e. having fewer groups and a lower age threshold— could have several beneficial effects, including more manageable logistics and fewer roll out delays, as well as potentially reducing pressure on hospitals. With an increasing supply of vaccines becoming available rapidly in much of E...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - February 19, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Actionable lessons for the US COVID vaccine program
AbstractWhen attempting to provide lessons for other countries from the successful Israeli COVID-19 vaccine experience, it is important to distinguish between the modifiable and non-modifiable components identified in the article by Rosen, et al. Two specific modifiable components included in the Israeli program from which the US can learn are (a) a national (not individual state-based) strategy for vaccine distribution and administration and (b) a functioning public health infrastructure. As a federal government, the US maintains an often complex web of state and national authorities and responsibilities. The federal gove...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - February 19, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination: what can Canada learn from Israel?
AbstractThis commentary compares Israel ’s COVID-10 vaccination response to the much slower and less successful vaccination campaign in Canada. Although Canada did start with some structural disadvantages relative to Israel including less centralized and coherent emergency planning and a more complex demographic geography, there are, no netheless, some important policy lessons Canada can draw from Israel. These include a more strategic use of national leadership in the vaccination campaign and the greater use of primary care resources and providers. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - February 17, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research