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.

Opportunities for diversifying and enriching our article mix
AbstractAs 2020 comes to a close, theIsrael Journal of Health Policy Research (IJHPR) will soon be starting its tenth year of publication. This editorial compares data from 2012 (the journal ’s first year of publication) and 2019 (the journal’s most recent full year of publication), regarding the journal’s mix of article types, topics, data sources and methods, with further drill-downs regarding 2019.The analysis revealed several encouraging findings, including a broad and changing mix of topics covered. However, the analysis also revealed several findings that are less encouraging, including the limited number of ar...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - December 3, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

A COVID-19 call center for healthcare providers: dealing with rapidly evolving health policy guidelines
ConclusionsThis is the first report of a call center established to serve the needs of healthcare providers seeking guidance on COVID-19 management, and to facilitate communication of providers ’ concerns to the central health authority. Our work indicates that a central call center for healthcare providers can facilitate the development, implementation and amendment of guidelines and should be an integral element of the early response to public health emergencies. Real-time analysis of the call data may reveal important trends requiring prompt attention. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - December 2, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Relationship between patient ethnicity and prevalence of anemia during pregnancy and the puerperium period and compliance with healthcare recommendations - implications for targeted health policy
ConclusionOverall compliance with health recommendation was high during pregnancy but low postpartum and was reflected in anemia persistence regardless of ethnicity.Because of the adverse long term impact of anemia on patient ’s health, new policies need to be developed to improve patient’s compliance postpartum. A possible strategy is to combine the follow-up of the mother with the one of the newborn in the family health stations (Tipat Halav) and the community clinics similarly to the close follow-up during pregnan cy. Additional methods may include active summoning for CBC test and assuring iron supplement consumpti...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 30, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Promoting patients ’ rights through hospital accreditation
AbstractLegislation and accreditation standards both address patients ’ rights. The two approaches differ in important ways; they should not be seen as competing but as complementing efforts. Laws define minimum standards, whereas accreditation standards describe optimal performance; laws focus on the rights, whereas accreditation standards also point out ways in wh ich hospitals may act to deliver these rights, which both serves to help hospitals implementing the rights and to standardize the measures taken across hospitals. A recent Israeli study underpins this view, but also highlights that international accreditation...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 30, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Correction to: Hair loss due to scalp ringworm irradiation in childhood: health and psychosocial risks for women
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 - November 30, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

The vexing relationship between socioeconomic status and health
AbstractIn a recent issue of thisJournal, Politzer, Shmueli, and Avni estimate the economic costs of health disparities due to socioeconomic status (SES) in Israel (Politzer et al., Isr J Health Policy Res 8: 46, 2019). Using three measures of SES, the socioeconomic ranking of localities, individual income, and individual education, Politzer and colleagues estimate welfare loss due to higher mortality, productivity loss due to poorer health, excess health care treatment costs, and excess disability payments for individuals with below median SES relative to those with above median SES. They find the economic costs of health...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 26, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Are Israelis becoming healthier? Trends in self-rated health, 2002 –2018
ConclusionsSelf-rated health has improved. However, it has not improved to the same extent for all Israelis. The results of this study show that the health of women has improved more than that of men and that the health of non-academics has improved more than that of academics. The latter suggests that the progressive effect of public financing has offset the regressive effect of out-of-pocket payments on self-rated health. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 26, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Fear of panoptic surveillance: using digital technology to control the COVID-19 epidemic
ConclusionsThe primary task of medical practice is to heal illness and alleviate suffering. The debate surrounding the employment of digital technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the complexity of the close connection between social control and care in times of pandemic. The context of this pandemic has highlighted the interrelatedness of advanced digital surveillance technologies, medical care, and social control exercised by authorities and medical regulators and experts, which raises issues of transparency, trust and mistrust among the public. These issues become all the more relevant when the number of p...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 25, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Strategic management as adaptation to changes in the ecosystems of public hospitals in Israel
ConclusionsThis study affords an important view over time and a better understanding of the behavior and adaptation of hospitals in Israel to their constantly changing surroundings. Adapting and inculcating appropriate managerial strategies in hospitals requires close collaboration between staff and management; its absence is an obstacle that contributes to partial, and possibly counter-productive, strategic behavior.The solution may lie in a combination of changes: providing hospital management with the necessary tools and broad professional support by the Ministry of Health; organizational changes in hospital management ...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 24, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Delayed discharges from a tertiary teaching hospital in Israel- incidence, implications, and solutions
ConclusionsHealth-care systems must adapt to the current patients ’ case-mix to achieve optimal utilization of hospital beds and maximal operational efficiency. The number of long-term care beds should be increased, the coordination between general hospitals, health maintenance organizations and long-term facilities improved, and patients that may require long t erm care after the acute phase of their illness should be early identified and addressed. Meanwhile, establishment of organic units for waiting patients and reorganization of the hospital structure should be considered. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 24, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Age, ageing, ageism and “age-itation” in the Age of COVID-19: rights and obligations relating to older persons in Israel as observed through the lens of medical ethics
AbstractCOVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has reached pandemic proportions. Although the virus can cause disease in anyone, it is particularly dangerous for those with various “co-morbidities” such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and others. Furthermore, advancing age (from about 60 on), even in those older persons without any accompanying illnesses, is a strong and independent risk factor for pneumonia, need for an ICU bed and death from the virus. It is therefore essential to find ways to protect all at-risk persons (old or young) from the virus but at the same time not harming, ...
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 12, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Ethnic disparities in receiving benefits for disability following postpartum mental illness during first two years after delivery: an Israeli nationwide study
ConclusionsDespite the exceptionally high prevalence of PMAD among ethnic minorities, Bedouins and Arabs had lowest likelihood of Benefit Entitlement. In addition to developing programs for early identification of postpartum emotional disorders among unprivileged ethnic groups, awareness regarding entitlement to a mental health disability allowance among ethnic minorities should be improved. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 9, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

National initiatives to promote quality of care and patient safety: achievements to date and challenges ahead
ConclusionSubstantial efforts are being made in Israel to improve quality of care, based on the use of good data to understand what is working and what needs particular attention. Government and health care providers have the tools to continue to improve. However, several mechanisms for improving the quality of care, such as minimizing healthcare disparities, training for quality, and widespread implementation of the “choosing wisely” initiative, should be implemented more intensively and effectively. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 5, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

Robotic vs. open surgery in obese women with low-grade endometrial cancer: comparison of costs and quality of life measures
ConclusionsObese women with low-grade endometrial cancer had better quality of life after robotic vs. open surgery. They also had shorter hospital stays and fewer postoperative complications. Centers with high volumes of robotic surgery can achieve similar costs when comparing both methods. These results were achieved without jeopardizing survival. Our results further emphasize the need for the Israeli healthcare system to include specific reimbursement for robotic procedures in the population we studied. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 2, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research

A rapid assessment of migrant careworkers ’ psychosocial status during Israel’s COVID-19 lockdown
ConclusionsMigrant careworkers exhibited high levels of mental distress during the COVID-19 lockdown, associated with lack of confidence or resources to properly care for themselves and their employer. Guidelines and support programs specific to the carework sector, that respect their rights and guard their health, must be developed as part of a coordinated COVID-19 response. (Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
Source: Israel Journal of Health Policy Research - November 2, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research