RESPONSE

Description

Improving health systems responsiveness to neglected health needs of vulnerable groups in Ghana and Vietnam

Background

The socio-economic growth in many low and middle-income countries (LMICs) has resulted in more available – though not equitably accessible - healthcare. Such growth has also increased demands from citizens for their health systems to be more responsive to their health needs. Responsiveness, a key goal of any national health system is “…when institutions… are cognisant and respond appropriately to the universally legitimate expectations of individuals... safeguarding of rights of patients to adequate… care” (de Silva, 2000; p.3) and its improvement is the focus of our study.

Photo: A family waiting at a hospital reception in Hanoi, Vietnam. © World Health Organization/Sebastian Liste/2018   

Our core question is: “In what way can health systems become more responsive to neglected health needs of vulnerable groups within the contexts of lower-middle-income countries? The project objectives are to:

1. Conduct in-depth analyses of how health systems responsiveness is understood and enacted by key health systems actors, and to what degree the local health systems are responsive to these expectations;
2. Co-produce, implement and evaluate context-sensitive interventions to improve health systems responsiveness to neglected health needs of vulnerable groups;
3. Develop an empirically based and theoretically grounded model of complex relations between the contexts, the mechanisms and the outcomes of the interventions to improve health systems responsiveness;
4. Develop transferable best practices for scalability and generalisability of the pilot-tested interventions
5. Strengthen research capacity through extending existing collaborations into strong South-South and South-North exchange and learning within and between Ghana, Vietnam, Australia and the UK.  

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Theoretical framework

We approach health systems responsiveness as a dynamic social action which is produced via relationships between different actors within contexts of particular socio-economic arrangements as they negotiate experiences of professional, citizen, consumer and patient rights and responsibilities.

Framework for health systems responsiveness (Adapted from: Mirzoev T and Kane S, BMJ Global Health 2017; 2(4): e000486, Figure 1)

Health systems responsiveness involves two socially-constructed interactions:

• internal (i.e. between policymakers, managers and service providers, for example in resource allocation, target-setting, staff supervision and performance appraisal)
• external (i.e. between people and the system, typically during service provision)

This theory-driven and mixed methods study will use Realist Evaluation as an overarching methodological framework. Realist researchers develop, test and refine middle-range theories which show causal pathways of how interventions work, for whom and under which conditions. Our initial theory, to be further tested and refined is:

Context-sensitive interventions for better recognition of initial expectations of key actors, if co-produced by these actors to target internal and external interactions and implemented within favourable policy contexts, will improve health systems responsiveness to neglected health needs of vulnerable groups, ultimately contributing to their better health outcomes.

The study comprises three Phases. In Phase 1, we will understand actors’ expectations of responsive health systems, identify key priorities for systems responsiveness, using evidence from the realist synthesis will develop initial programme theory. We will also generate a baseline through reviewing relevant documents and analyse facility records, conduct in-depth interviews, focus groups and community survey.

In Phase 2, we will co-produce the context-sensitive interventions to improve health systems responsiveness. The interventions will seek to improve internal (i.e. within health system) and external (i.e. people-systems) interactions through participatory workshops with health workers and communities, addressing priorities from Phase 1. The co-production will be through meetings with key local, district, regional and national actors, to be led by relevant health authorities and carefully documented by researchers.

University of Leeds (Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences; School of Sociology and Social Policy)

• Prof Tolib Mirzoev (Principal Investigator)
• Dr Ana Manzano
• Dr Joseph Hicks
• Dr Anna Cronin de Chavez
• Mrs Judy Wright
• Mrs Natalie King
• Ms Alexandra Pisica

Ghana Health Service

• Professor Irene Agyepong (Principal Investigator, Ghana Team Lead)
• Dr Elizabeth Awini
• Ms Linda (Lucy) Yevoo
• Dr Mary Ashinyo

Mental Health Authority, Ghana 

• Dr Leveana Gyimah

University of Ghana

• Dr Anthony Danso-Appiah

Hanoi University of Public Health

• Professor Bui Thi Thu Ha (Principal Investigator, Vietnam Team Lead)
• Dr Do Thi Hanh Trang
• Dr Doan Duong
• Dr Le Minh Thi
• Mrs Quynh Chi Nguyen
• Dr Le Thi Vui

University of Melbourne (Nossal Institute for Global Health, , Melbourne School of Population and Global Health)

If you are a researcher, practitioner or policy-maker interested in enhancing responsive health systems, we welcome and invite you to reach out to us.