BACKGROUND Mental health and/or substance use issues are associated with significant disparities in morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to identify the mechanisms underlying poor primary care access for this population. METHOD This was a community-based participatory action qualitative study, in which 85 adults who self-identified as having a serious mental health and/or substa...

In the recent debate on the role of the specialty of public health medicine" the stimulation and support of quality improvement in patient care services have received insufficient attention. The disciplines which underpin the practice of public health, particularly epidemiology, statistics, medical informatics, and the management sciences, are highly relevant to improving health care quality. P...

BACKGROUND An increasing number of research studies in the psychological and biobehavioral sciences support incorporating patients' personal strengths into illness management as a way to empower and activate the patients, thus improving their health and well-being. However, lack of attention to patients' personal strengths is still reported in patient-provider communication. Information technol...

the use of third-party logistics (3pl) providers is regarded as new strategy in logistics management. the relationships by considering 3pl are sometimes more complicated than any classical logistics supplier relationships. these relationships have taken into account as a well-known way to highlight organizations' flexibilities to regard rapidly uncertain market conditions, follow core competenc...

BACKGROUND Continuity is an important aspect of quality of care, especially for complex patients in the community. We explored provider perceptions of continuity through a system's lens. The circle of care was used as the system. METHODS Soft systems methodology was used to understand and improve continuity for end of life patients in two communities. PARTICIPANTS Physicians, nurses, pharma...

BACKGROUND Electronic health records (EHRs) have the potential to enhance patient-provider communication and improve patient outcomes. However, in order to impact patient care, clinical decision support (CDS) and communication tools targeting such needs must be integrated into clinical workflow and be flexible with regard to the changing health care landscape. DESIGN The Stroke Prevention in ...

There has been much discussion on promotion of the health of young people in vulnerable situations; but little work has been done analyzing its actual operation - and this is especially true in relation to programs and projects that are outside the health services. This article aims to analyze the relationship of an experience in Community Theater with the promotion of health. It is a qualitati...

In the past, design has most often occurred fairly far downstream in the development process and has focused on making new products aesthetically attractive or enhancing brand perception through smart, evocative advertising. Today, as innovation's terrain expands to encompass human-centered processes and services as well as products, companies are asking designers to create ideas rather than to...

BACKGROUND In 2004, a community-based health insurance scheme (CBI) was introduced in Nouna health district, Burkina Faso. Since its inception, coverage has remained low and dropout rates high. One important reason for low coverage and high dropout is that health workers do not support the CBI scheme because they are dissatisfied with the provider payment mechanism of the CBI. METHODS A discr...