Management and Governance Paradigms in Health (SGHMANGOV) - HEALTH SYSTEM

The Health System as a Social Determinant of Health

• Access to healthcare can impact differences in exposure and vulnerability, and subsequently affect health outcomes.
• Healthcare systems comprise personal and non-personal health services, with personal services focusing on direct patient care and non-personal services involving population health, health promotion, and system-level interventions.

What is a Health System?

• A health system is defined by the WHO as all activities that promote, restore, or maintain health.
• It encompasses healthcare institutions, human resources, financing mechanisms, information systems, and management structures that deliver health services to patients.

Fundamental Objectives of Health Systems

• Improving the health of the population.
• Responding to people's expectations.
• Providing financial risk protection.

Functions of Health Systems

• Service provision: delivering personal and non-personal health services.
• Resource generation: investing in people, facilities, and equipment.
• Financing: raising, pooling, and allocating revenues to purchase services.
• Stewardship: acting as stewards of resources, powers, and expectations.

Health Financing

• A good health financing system raises adequate funds, ensures access to needed services, and protects against financial catastrophe or impoverishment.
• Key elements include raising sufficient funds, pooling financial resources, and using funds efficiently and equitably.

Service Delivery

• Good health services deliver effective, safe, quality personal and non-personal health interventions.
• Key elements include organizing health services, providing a package of health benefits, ensuring access and quality, and holding providers accountable.

Human Resources for Health

• A well-performing health workforce consists of sufficient numbers and a mix of competent, responsive, productive, and efficient staff.
• Key elements include achieving sufficient numbers of staff, ensuring system-wide deployment, establishing job-related norms, and establishing payment systems.

Essential Medical Products and Technologies

• A well-functioning health system ensures equitable access to essential health products and technologies of assured quality, safety, and efficacy.
• Key elements include strengthening regulatory systems, establishing essential lists of health products, improving supply and distribution, and promoting rational prescribing.

Health Information

• A well-functioning health information system produces, analyzes, disseminates, and uses reliable and timely information on health determinants, health systems performance, and health status.
• Key elements include providing timely and quality evidence, making information accessible, and maximizing use of information technology.

Leadership and Governance

• Leadership and governance involve ensuring strategic policy frameworks, effective oversight, coalition-building, provision of regulations and incentives, and accountability.
• Key elements include ensuring health authorities take responsibility, defining national health policies, regulating and enforcing legal mandates, and ensuring effective dialogues with health partners.

The Health System as a Social Determinant of Health

• Access to healthcare can impact differences in exposure and vulnerability, and subsequently affect health outcomes.
• Healthcare systems comprise personal and non-personal health services, with personal services focusing on direct patient care and non-personal services involving population health, health promotion, and system-level interventions.

What is a Health System?

• A health system is defined by the WHO as all activities that promote, restore, or maintain health.
• It encompasses healthcare institutions, human resources, financing mechanisms, information systems, and management structures that deliver health services to patients.

Fundamental Objectives of Health Systems

• Improving the health of the population.
• Responding to people's expectations.
• Providing financial risk protection.

Functions of Health Systems

• Service provision: delivering personal and non-personal health services.
• Resource generation: investing in people, facilities, and equipment.
• Financing: raising, pooling, and allocating revenues to purchase services.
• Stewardship: acting as stewards of resources, powers, and expectations.

Health Financing

• A good health financing system raises adequate funds, ensures access to needed services, and protects against financial catastrophe or impoverishment.
• Key elements include raising sufficient funds, pooling financial resources, and using funds efficiently and equitably.

Service Delivery

• Good health services deliver effective, safe, quality personal and non-personal health interventions.
• Key elements include organizing health services, providing a package of health benefits, ensuring access and quality, and holding providers accountable.

Human Resources for Health

• A well-performing health workforce consists of sufficient numbers and a mix of competent, responsive, productive, and efficient staff.
• Key elements include achieving sufficient numbers of staff, ensuring system-wide deployment, establishing job-related norms, and establishing payment systems.

Essential Medical Products and Technologies

• A well-functioning health system ensures equitable access to essential health products and technologies of assured quality, safety, and efficacy.
• Key elements include strengthening regulatory systems, establishing essential lists of health products, improving supply and distribution, and promoting rational prescribing.

Health Information

• A well-functioning health information system produces, analyzes, disseminates, and uses reliable and timely information on health determinants, health systems performance, and health status.
• Key elements include providing timely and quality evidence, making information accessible, and maximizing use of information technology.

Leadership and Governance

• Leadership and governance involve ensuring strategic policy frameworks, effective oversight, coalition-building, provision of regulations and incentives, and accountability.
• Key elements include ensuring health authorities take responsibility, defining national health policies, regulating and enforcing legal mandates, and ensuring effective dialogues with health partners.