Research Articles
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A research article reports the results of original research, assesses its contribution to the body of knowledge in a given area, and is published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. The faculty publications through published and on-going articles/researches are captured in this community
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Item Socio-economic differences in cost of pregnancy-related health services in the peri-urban Accra, Ghana(Journal of Public Health, 2014) Aikins, M.; Aryeetey, R.; Dako-Gyeke, P.; et al.Background Financial and physical barriers are known to limit access to maternal health services in developing countries. These limitations are often compounded by the low socio-economic status of women. This study examined socio-economic differences in health services costs incurred by pregnant women. Methods A cross-sectional cost survey of 300 women who had delivered a live birth in the last 12 months was undertaken. Results Majority of the women were aged between 20 and 39 years. About 63% of the women claimed they were registrants of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). However, only 64% of them provided valid NHIS identification cards. There were relatively more insured women in the rich quintiles (44%) compared with insured women in the poor quintiles (33%). Generally, women who were in the rich quintile incurred the highest average medical and non-medical costs, spent the highest time before service provision, and lost the highest average incomes. Conclusions Women's socio-economic differences play a critical role in access to health services. We recommend that awareness campaigns on the NHIS must be intensified. The Ghana Health Services through its Community-based Health Planning Service should carefully structure its home visits to cover education on pregnancy-related health services.Item How does it affect service delivery under the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana? Health providers and insurance managers perspective on submission and reimbursement of claims(PLOS ONE, 2021) Akweongo, P.; ChatioID, S.T.; Owusu, R.; Tedisio, F.; Salari, P.; Aikins, M.Introduction In 2003, the Government of Ghana launched the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to enable all Ghanaian residents to have access to health services at the point of care without financial difficulty. However, the system has faced a number of challenges relating to delays in submission and reimbursement of claims. This study assessed views of stakeholders on claims submission, processing and re-imbursement under the NHIS and how that affected health service delivery in Ghana. Methods The study employed qualitative methods where in-depth interviews were conducted with stakeholders in three administrative regions in Ghana. Purposive sampling method was used to select health facilities and study participants for the interviews. QSR Nvivo 12 software was used to code the data into themes for thematic analysis. Results The results point to key barriers such as lack of qualified staff to process claims, unclear vetting procedure and the failure of National Health Insurance Scheme officers to draw the attention of health facility staff to resolve discrepancies on time. Participants perceived that lack of clarity, inaccurate data and the use of non-professional staff for NHIS claims vetting prolonged reimbursement of claims. This affected operations of credentialed health facilities including the provision of health services. It is perceived that unavailability of funds led to reuse of disposable medical supplies in health service delivery in credentialed health facilities. Stakeholders suggested that submission of genuine claims by health providers and regular monitoring of health facilities reduces errors on claims reports and delays in reimbursement of claims. Conclusion Long delays in claims reimbursement, perceived vetting discrepancies affect health service delivery. Thus, effective collaboration of all stakeholders is necessary in order to develop a long-term strategy to address the issue under the NHIS to improve health service delivery.Item Socio-economic differences in cost of pregnancy-related health services in the peri-urban Accra, Ghana(Journal of Public Health (United Kingdom), 2014-10) Aikins, M.; Aryeetey, R.; Dako-Gyeke, P.; Adongo, P.B.; Mcgough, L.Background Financial and physical barriers are known to limit access to maternal health services in developing countries. These limitations are often compounded by the low socio-economic status of women. This study examined socio-economic differences in health services cost incurred by pregnant women. Methods A cross-sectional cost survey of 300 women who had delivered a live birth in the last 12 months was undertaken. Results Majority of the women were aged between 20 and 39 years. About 63% of the women claimed they were registrants of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). However, only 64% of them provided valid NHIS identification cards. There were relatively more insured women in the rich quintiles (44%) compared with insured women in the poor quintiles (33%). Generally, women who were in the rich quintile incurred the highest average medical and non-medical costs, spent the highest time prior to service provision and lost the highest average incomes. Conclusions Women socio-economic differences play a critical role in access to health services. We recommend that awareness campaigns on the NHIS must be intensified. The Ghana Health Services through its Community-based Health Planning Service should carefully structure its home visits to cover education on pregnancy-related health services. © Crown copyright 2014.